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GIFT  OF 


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OH 


THE  VOYAGE 

OF  THE 

WENONAH 

A  TALE  OF  THE  SEA  — FACT  AND  FICTION 


BY 

AUGUSTINE  LANGFORD 


THE  C.  M.  CLARK  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 
1909 


<•  ' 


COPYRIGHT,  1909 

BY 

THE  C.  M.  CLARK  PUBLISHING  Co. 

BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 

u.  s.  A. 

All  Rights  Reserved 


PRESS   OP  MURRAY  AND  EMERY  COMPANY 
BOSTON,    MASSACHUSETTS 


A  TRIBUTE  TO  THE 

LIVING — TOM  AND  ALICE, 

AND  IN  MEMORY  OF  THE 

DEAD — JULIA  AND  WILLIAM; 

THIS  BOOK  IS  AFFECTIONATELY  INSCRIBED 

BY  THEIR  BROTHER. 


-'  r  ?  - 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 
I.     Doctor   Austin    and    George    Brooks — 

Two  of  the  Voyagers          ...  1 

II.     The  American  Ship  Wenonah         .         .  15 

III.  The  Sea  Lawyer  24 

IV.  The    Passage    from    San    Francisco    to 

Callao      ......  j&   3o 

V.     Callao 73 

VI.     John  Northrup               ....  80 

VII.     Traits  of  Sailor  Character      ...  105 

VIII.     "Rum  done  it!"            ....  116 

IX.     A  Trip  on  the  Oroya  Railroad  and  a  Bull 

Fight  at  Lima             ....  134 

X.     The  U.  S.  Flagship  Adirondack— Home- 
ward Bound!              ....  149 

XI.     On  the  South  Pacific  toward  Cape  Horn  166 

XII.     The  Boatswain 189 

XIII.  Stormy  Weather  off  the  Coast  of  Patagonia  202 

XIV.  Through  the  Patagonian  Channels           .  223 


Chapter  Page 

XV.     In  the  Straits  of  Magellan  .          .          .  283 

XVI.     From  the  Straits  of  Magellan  to  Monte- 
video      ......  311 

XVII.     Burial  At  Sea S23 

XVIII.     The  Winds  and  Currents  of  Ocean       .  338 

XIX.     Running 349 

XX.     Captain  Colburn  Discourses  on  Various 

Matters 358 

XXI.     Some  Natural  Phenomena-  Arrival  at 

Trinidad 372 

XXII.     Treachery!          .          .          .          .          .  389 

XXIII.  Judas  gets  his  Reward          ...  422 

XXIV.  The  Web  of  Perfidy  Exposed  and  Rent  436 
XXV.     Jacob  Hawse      .....  464 

XXVI.    Close  of  the  Narrative  471 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  American  Ship  Wenonah  .          .    Frontispiece 

Page 
Doctor  Austin  and  George  Brooks — two  of   the 

Voyagers      .......  4 

William  Colburn,  Captain  of  the  Wenonah             .  46 

The  U.  S.  Flagship  Adirondack          ...  158 

Tracks  of  Hurricanes 374 

Shifts  of  Wind  in  a  Hurricane  ....  380 

The  Wenonah  Dismasted           ....  406 

Jacob  Hawse,  First  Mate  of  the  Wenonah     .          .  418 

John  Northrup,  Lawyer    .....  442 
Chart  of  the  World,  Showing  Route  of  the  Wenonah 


THE   VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 
CHAPTER  I 

DOCTOR  AUSTIN  AND  GEORGE  BROOKS 

"  WELL,  Doctor,  are  all  your  arrangements  made  ?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  so :  my  assistant  takes  the  house,  servants, 
carriage  and  horses,  and,  of  course,  my  practice;  our 
trunks  are  packed,  and  to-morrow  we  go  to  a  hotel  until 
the  ship  is  ready  for  sea;  I  hope  this  will  be  in  a  few  days." 

"Then  you  are  entirely  decided  upon  returning  within 
two  years?" 

"Without  fail,  I  hope.  I  came  to  California  as  a 
stripling — I  may  say,  a  weakling;  for  I  was  not  strong  as  a 
youth.  My  means  were  slender,  and  my  professional 
success  doubtful.  I  married  here,  and  our  little  girl  was 
born  in  San  Francisco.  I  am  now  bordering  on  fifty,  with 
a  robust  physique,  a  remunerative  practice,  and  a  com- 
fortable home.  Excepting  blood  relations,  all  our  ties  and 
associations  are  here;  and  to  sever  them  would  be  a  rude 
wrench  to  our  feelings.  To  be  sure,  all  this  might  have 
turned  out  equally  well  if  I  had  remained  in  the  East;  but 
conditions  here  favored  me  from  the  first — I  improved  in 
health  and  in  income — and  so,  besides  the  bonds  of  friend- 
ship, I  feel  some  gratitude  toward  the  soil  that  helped  me 
grow  to  what  I  am. 

"  During  the  twenty  years  or  so  since  1860,  the  free  field 
for  the  indulgence  of  one's  bent — the  absence  of  con- 

1 


1  "THE  VOYAGE  OF  -rid:  WENONAH 

ventionality — the  manly,  generous  impulse  pervading  all 
conditions  of  life  in  California,  have  made  many  a  man 
what  he  is  to-day;  and  what  he  certainly  would  not  be  in 
the  older  State  from  which  he  came.  There,  restraints  are 
numerous,  rivalry  sharp  and  calculating,  and  the  easy 
give-and-take  of  We  is  scarcely  known.  Here,  intercourse 
is  characterized  by  confidence — in  the  East,  by  distrust: 
the  one  condition  breeds  the  free  hand  and  open  heart — 
the  other,  the  clenched  fist  and  wound  to  the  sensibilities. 
No,  we  are  not  going  to  languish  in  the  close  air  of  our 
youth:  both  my  wife  and  I  were  born  in  New  York;  we  are 
going  only  for  a  visit  to  our  relatives  and  then  return  to  this 
coast,  to  breathe  its  vigorous  freedom  to  the  end." 

The  speaker  was  Doctor  Henry  Austin — a  man  above 
the  middle  height,  well  proportioned,  and  of  attractive  pres- 
ence. His  countenance  was  open  and  direct  in  expression, 
full  of  decision  and  that  look  of  thought  which  grows  out  of 
the  study  of  every  situation — its  diagnosis.  His  hair  and 
heavy  moustaches  were  well  turned  to  gray.  He  had  a 
kindly  disposition  which  was  ever  shown  in  a  pleasant, 
considerate  manner  toward  those  he  had  intercourse  with, 
whatever  their  stations  in  life. 

The  Doctor  was  driving  a  pair  of  spirited  horses,  and 
seated  beside  him  in  the  buggy  was  George  Brooks,  his 
intimate  friend;  they  were  taking  a  last  turn  through  the 
Golden  Gate  Park  near  San  Francisco. 

Brooks  was  a  younger  man — not  quite  forty;  tall  and 
slender — a  frame  covered  with  little  flesh,  but  well  bound 
by  thews  and  sinews — a  nervous  organization.  He  had 
black  hair  and  moustaches,  and  a  pale  face  that  showed 
every  changing  mood  as  quickly  as  the  landscape  does 
light  and  shadow  from  fleeting  clouds.  He  was  full  of 


DOCTOR  AUSTIN  AND  GEORGE  BROOKS  3 

vivacity,  and  had  a  wholesome  supply  of  those  qualities 
that  are  indicated  by  the  olden  warning  at  the  household 
entrance — Cave  canem!  Not  that  he  idly  snapped  at 
every  passer  or  sought  quarrel  with  him;  but  that  he  was 
quick  to  perceive  and  ready  to  resent  any  attempt  at 
imposition.  His  sense  of  justice  toward  himself  as  well  as 
toward  others  was  very  keen,  and  he  seldom  failed  to 
insist  on  his  proper  dues. 

In  many  respects  he  was  the  very  antithesis  of  the 
Doctor;  so  that  the  intimate  friendship  between  them  bore 
out  the  principle  of  the  attraction  of  opposites  so  frequent 
in  physical  nature:  it  is  the  positive  pole  that  seeks  the 
negative — not  two  poles  of  the  same  name  that  cling  to 
each  other. 

This  friendship  was  the  growth  of  association  through 
many  years;  visits  of  Brooks  to  Austin's  home,  walks  and 
drives  together,  and  some  business  ventures  they  under- 
took jointly.  They  had  exchanged  views  on  almost  every 
topic,  and  differed  on  many;  but  although  with  heat,  yet 
always  with  that  consideration  for  each  other's  bias  that 
left  no  sting  from  contradiction.  They  had  learned  each 
other's  peculiarities  and  made  easy  detours  around  them 
whenever  they  threatened  to  be  obstacles  in  the  path  of 
intimacy. 

It  seemed  to  be  the  sudden  realization  of  this  good  feeling 
that  prompted  the  Doctor  to  say: 

"George,  this  will  be  lonely  driving  for  me  when  I 
return:  you  know  my  wife  and  child  are  not  always  able 
to  accompany  me;  and  I  suppose  that  through  sheer  habit 
I  shall  call  at  your  office  for  our  afternoon  trip — is  your 
mind  finally  made  up  not  to  return  ?" 

"  Yes,  it  is  best  that  I  cut  all  connection  with  this  coast. 


4        THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

I  took  root  here  as  a  rank  weed,  and  although  I  have  grown 
to  be  a  cultivated  plant,  still  the  smell  of  rankness  often 
comes  up  to  disturb  me — early  associations  crop  up  now 
and  then — they  are  snags  in  my  course. 

"I  know  I  shall  greatly  regret  many  ties  here:  your 
companionship,  in  particular,  will  not  soon  be  replaced, 
even  by  relatives;  indeed,  I  shall  almost  have  to  be  intro- 
duced to  my  own  family,  I  know  them  so  slightly.  Want 
of  intercourse  has  left  our  inherent  angularities  as  sharp  as 
between  strangers,  and  it  will  take  long  association  to  work 
the  jarring  corners  down  to  our  smoothness  of  friendship. 
Still,  I  had  better  go  and  begin  life  afresh  on  the  founda- 
tions I  have  laid  here,  rather  than  remain  and  have  forever 
beneath  me  the  dank  cellar  with  its  noxious  exhalations." 

This  was  not  the  first  time  that  Brooks  alluded  to  an 
unsatisfactory  vein  in  his  life:  it  gave  the  Doctor  an 
opportunity  to  ask  him  to  unbosom  himself,  so  he  said: 

"You  told  me  you  came  here  poor — so  did  hundreds 
of  others,  and  many  with  a  shameful  past  that  made  it 
prudent  to  change  their  names;  now  they  have  wealth  and 
prominence,  and  live  as  if  these  had  been  their  inheritance 
through  a  long  line  of  ancestry:  but  what  can  worry  you 
so  much  as  to  cut  adrift  from  the  prosperous  present  and 
promising  future — surely  nothing  you  need  blush  for?" 

"No,"  answered  Brooks:  "there  is  nothing  disgraceful 
in  my  career — only,  it  began  at  the  bottom,  and  in  my 
occupation  that  fact  cramps  my  efforts  and  thwarts  my 
aspirations.  These  efforts  are  now  masked  in  the  imper- 
sonal editorial  of  a  newspaper  or  an  unsigned  article  in  a 
magazine;  but  I  want  to  strive  for  individuality — I  want 
to  put  my  name  to  my  work;  and  the  moment  I  do  that,  it 
loosens  every  venomous  tongue.  People  are  impatient 


Doctor  Austin  and  George  Brooks — two  of  the  Voyagers 


DOCTOR  AUSTIN  AND  GEORGE  BROOKS  5 

of  the  dicta  of  those  who  have  grown  up  from  small  be- 
ginnings among  them:  it  was  not  said  of  Nazareth  alone 
that  a  prophet  is  not  accepted  in  his  own  country — the 
sentiment  is  universal,  and  describes  a  condition  that 
dwarfs  ambition;  it  finds  its  symbol  in  the  parasitic  vine 
that  coils  round  the  tree,  stunts  its  growth,  and  eventually 
chokes  out  its  life.  I  may  as  well  tell  you  my  story : 

"  I  was  born  in  a  seaport  town  of  the  New  England  coast 
where  shipping  was  abundant,  so  that  I  grew  up  from 
childhood  familiar  with  things  of  the  sea. 

"  My  family  was  fairly  well  off.  I  went  through  all  the 
grades  of  the  public  school,  and  upon  leaving  high  school, 
got  the  situation  of  corresponding  clerk  in  a  large  shipping 
house.  The  salary  was  small,  and  the  outlook — years  of 
writing  routine  letters  at  a  desk:  I  had  ambition  for  other 
things. 

"  Like  most  boys  of  venturesome  spirit,  I  had  read  much 
about  the  sea —  its  poetry,  fiction,  and  history;  but  it  was 
not  these — their  airy  fancies,  thrilling  adventures,  or  real 
wreck  or  battle  (all  somewhat  hazy  in  over-wrought 
mystery) — that  influenced  my  going  to  sea:  that  was 
brought  about  chiefly  by  what  I  saw. 

"Near  our  town  was  a  Navy  Yard,  and  the  frequent 
presence  of  ships-of-war  aroused  all  my  enthusiasm  for 
command  and  the  gratification  of  ambition  by  those  means 
that  are  visible  on  board  such  ships.  I  reckoned  not  at 
all  with  the  harsh  features — the  privations,  rancours,  and 
jealousies  that  often  lurk  behind  the  brilliance  of  uniform 
and  suavity  of  manner:  I  saw  only  the  halo — not  the 
squalid  attributes  it  sometimes  covers. 

"Well,  I  shipped  as  landsman  on  board  the  Yellow- 
stone— a  sailing  sloop-of-war;  thinking  (as  others  have 


6       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

thought)  that  this  was  the  lower  round  of  the  ladder  to  the 
quarter  deck. 

"The  Yellowstone  was  a  full  rigged  ship — a  beautiful 
model,  with  a  large  spread  of  canvas.  In  a  strong  breeze 
with  the  wind  free,  I  have  seen  her  make  fourteen  knots 
under  all  sail.  At  such  times  it  was  a  thrilling  sight  to 
watch  her  cut  the  waves — almost  bound  from  crest  to 
crest,  trembling  like  an  animated  creature.  I  used  to  envy 
the  officer  of  the  deck  as  he  proudly  strode  the  poop, 
trumpet  in  hand,  eye  alert  on  wind,  sail,  and  sea;  and 
thought  how  I,  too,  should  be  elated  if  master  of  such  a 
superb  fabric:  even  in  my  lowly  station,  I  felt  no  small 
pride  in  having  a  hand  in  her  manoeuvres. 

"  During  the  long  passage  to  the  Asiatic  station  by  way 
of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  we  had  ample  exercise  in  every- 
thing to  make  a  good  seaman  of  me :  making  and  taking  in 
sail  in  all  kinds  of  weather;  reefing  and  shaking  out  reefs; 
bracing  yards;  tacking  and  wearing;  lying- to;  scudding; 
and  working  into  port  against  head  winds.  My  early 
experience  for  all  this  was  excellent,  having  managed  sail 
boats  from  a  boy.  I  took  to  the  work  with  zest,  and  by 
the  time  we  reached  Hong  Kong,  I  had  passed  through  the 
rates  of  ordinary  seaman  and  seaman,  to  captain  of  top — 
full  of^ pride  of  being  able  to  pass  a  weather  earing  in  a 
gale. 

"  Soon  after  our  arrival,  I  was  transferred  to  the  Flag- 
ship Minnetonka:  we  cruised  from  port  to  port  of  the 
station  for  two  years,  and  then  returned  home  by  way  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  I  was  at  first  captain  of  top  and 
afterward  boatswain's  mate  on  the  Flagship. 

"  In  these  two  vessels,  the  Yellowstone  and  the  Minne- 
tonka, I  saw  two  very  different  methods  of  exercising 


DOCTOR  AUSTIN  AND  GEORGE  BROOKS  7 

command :  one,  that  gives  rein  to  the  best  efforts  of  sub- 
ordinates; and  the  other,  that  cramps  them  into  mere 
routine  performance. 

"  On  a  ship-of-war  there  is  great  subdivision  of  labor,  and 
the  part  assigned  to  each  is  defined  by  regulation  as  well  as 
established  by  custom.  To  infringe  on  the  domain  of  any 
one,  therefore,  is  to  touch  his  sensitive  nerve — it  hurts  his 
pride,  deadens  his  interest,  thwarts  his  ambition,  makes 
him  sullen,  and  begets  a  disposition  to  do  only  what  he  is 
told :  on  the  other  hand,  to  give  a  subordinate  all  the  free- 
dom compatible  with  the  order  and  regularity  that  must 
pervade  the  organization,  is  to  develop  his  tendency 
toward  efficiency  arid  contentment. 

"  The  commanding  officer,  of  course,  must  have  a  sharp 
eye  on  all,  to  see  that  the  general  plan  is  carried  out;  and 
he  will  have  enough  to  do,  if  he  occupies  himself  with  this 
scrutiny  arid  direction,  without  descending  to  take  a  hand 
in  the  duties  of  any  officer.  As  long  as  the  executive  is 
carrying  on  the  exercises  well,  let  him  use  his  own  judg- 
ment about  details — do  not  stop  him  in  the  midst  of  a  sail 
drill,  to  tell  him  how  to  do  it:  that  should  have  been  ar- 
ranged previously  in  the  cabin.  Similarly,  if  the  navigator 
is  piloting  the  ship  safely,  let  him  continue — it  will  spur  his 
pride  and  zeal  to  better  work;  the  captain  should  keep  a 
close  watch  on  the  danger  spots  along  the  course,  and  if 
approaching  them  too  closely,  direct  the  navigator  to  keep 
off.  Likewise,  if  the  officer  of  the  deck  is  attentive  to  the 
prescribed  routine,  let  him  do  it  as  he  will,  without  nagging: 
it  is  time  to  apply  the  prod  when  he  is  indolent  or  neglectful. 

"Now,  on  the  Yellowstone  the  captain  interfered  with 
everybody  and  everything:  the  executive  was  only  a  speak- 
ing trumpet  through  which  he  gave  orders  at  all  ma- 


8        THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

noeuvres;  the  navigator^a  mere  automaton  to  move  his  arm 
right  or  left  as  the  captain  wanted  the  helm  put  to  star- 
board or  to  port;  and  the  officer  of  the  deck  was  tethered 
so  short  that  only  a  few  commonplace  duties  were  within 
his  scope.  The  consequence  was,  that  everybody  feared 
to  move,  lest  he  snap  some  check-rein;  and  jerky,  timid 
action  was  the  result.  In  addition,  details  were  para- 
mount, and  close  adherence  to  them  was  exacted.  More- 
over, the  captain  was  always  anxious  to  make  a  record — 
eager  for  the  shadow  of  efficiency,  rather  than  its  sub- 
stance— for  the  seemly  mask,  rather  than  the  solid  flesh  and 
blood:  to  have  it  on  record  that  the  order  was  complied 
with,  or  the  routine  carried  out — no  matter  how  per- 
functorily— seemed  to  be  his  chief  aim:  all  which  en- 
gendered shallowness  and  insincerity — a  covering  up  of 
weakness  and  dry  rot.  The  man  who  is  ever  seeking  to 
have  the  record  to  point  to — the  log-book  entry  or  official 
report  (which  may  misrepresent  as  easily  as  the  record- 
maker  desires) — is  permeated  by  deceit. 

"  On  the  Minnetonka,  on  the  other  hand,  there  was  an 
atmosphere  of  trust :  everybody  went  about  his  duties  with 
a  feeling  that  if  he  did  make  a  mistake,  he  would  be  dealt 
with  generously  by  a  commander  who  appreciated  human 
weakness  and  inadequacy,  even  though  regulations  took 
no  account  of  such  frailties.  Each  subordinate  felt  that  he 
was  responsible  for  the  condition  of  his  own  allotted  part, 
however  lowly  that  might  be;  and  the  captain  closely 
supervised  the  whole:  he  meddled  with  no  one,  but  all 
knew  that  their  actions  were  duly  weighed,  and  put  to  their 
credit  if  good,  or  to  their  debit  if  found  wanting. 

"  The  freedom  of  the  sea  and  air — the  spirit  of  mutabil- 
ity that  characterizes  the  ocean,  pervaded  life  on  the 


DOCTOR  AUSTIN  AND  GEORGE  BROOKS  9 

Minnetonka:  it  yielded  as  circumstances  demanded — 
was  flexible  to  inevitable  changes — and  bent  itself  to  derive 
most  profit  from  what  it  could  not  control :  thus  supple  and 
accommodating,  it  was  in  accord  with  the  conditions  it  had 
to  deal  with;  not  rigid — a  slave  to  rule  and  routine,  as  the 
narrow-minded,  machine-made  man  is — forever  clashing 
with  his  surroundings  and  wasting  his  energies. 

"The  stiffness  and  precision  of  the  parade  ground,  the 
alignment  of  military  formations,  and  the  cadence  of 
marching  men,  cannot  with  success  be  fitted  into  the  life  at 
sea:  there,  elasticity — a  give-and-take  policy  in  all  things, 
is  most  suitable  to  the  ever  changing  winds  and  waves. 

"  My  term  of  enlistment  having  expired,  I  was  honorably 
discharged,  and  bid  adieu  forever  to  the  Navy;  as  I  found 
that  only  one  more  advancement — to  warrant  officer — was 
the  utmost  I  could  attain.  Never  to  be  a  commissioned 
officer — this  *  Abandon  all  hope,  ye  who  enter  here !'  seemed 
to  me  then  more  blighting  than  Dante's  dread  scroll  over 
the  gates  of  hell;  but  mature  thought  has  changed  my 
views. 

"  I  now  clearly  see  that  one  who  has  had  instruction  in 
the  various  branches  of  the  profession  from  competent 
men,  in  an  institution  well  equipped  for  imparting  knowl- 
edge, is  at  a  great  advantage  over  him  who  acquires  it 
chiefly  through  practical  means  and  without  such  aids. 

"The  education  at  the  Naval  Academy  is  designed  to 
attain  a  specific  object — to  produce  an  officer  who  will  be 
technically  qualified  to  command  ships,  as  well  as  to  repre- 
sent the  country  creditably  abroad ;  by  comparison  with  its 
completeness,  any  other  method — that,  for  instance,  of 
growing  up  on  board  ship  and  acquiring  its  routine  by 
mere  contact,  is  necessarily  meagre,  even  though  it  be 


10  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

supplemented  by  study.     But  aside  from  this,  there  is 
otherwise  a  great  difference  between  the  training,  per  se, 
of  the  officer  and  that  of  the  seaman  who  may  aim  at 
becoming  an  officer — a  training  mental,  moral,  and  social 
that  is  inhaled  with  the  atmosphere  of  each  condition — 
absorbed  from  associations — and  more  effective  in  mould- 
ing character  than  anything  derived  from  books.     Honor, 
truth,    sobriety,    self-restraint,    courtesy,    courage,    and 
respect   for   authority    and    position — these    are   forever 
dinned  into  the  ears  of  the  midshipman,  and  impressed 
upon  him  by  example:  if  they  had  been  inculcated  in  the 
home,  the  influence  of  the  Academy  fosters  their  growth;  if 
not,  that  influence  tends  to  remedy  early  defects.     The 
Academy  does  not  turn  out  paragons  of  all  these  virtues — 
it  would  be  strange  if  despicable  natures  were  not  found 
among  its  graduates;  for  human  nature  is  more  or  less 
flinty  to  good  impressions,  and  the  tendency  to  deceit, 
craft,  and  meanness  of  every  kind  is  so  strong  in  some  boys, 
that  it  will  resist  all  effort  at  improvement;  still,  the  effort 
and  the  influence  to  improve,  are  at  the  Academy:  but 
without  any  disparagement  of  the  man  before  the  mast 
(for  very  many  individuals  are  upright  and  actuated  by 
good  principles) — will  his  most  friendly  advocate  assert 
that  his  surroundings  have  always  high  and  noble  influ- 
ences?    No:  there  is  cockle  sown  by  the  life  of  the  fore- 
castle that  the  most  careful  weeding  of  the  quarter  deck 
will  with  difficulty  eradicate. 

"  In  training  the  officer,  he  is  always  told  that  some  day 
he  will  command;  in  training  the  seaman,  he  is  forever 
taught  that  he  must  obey :  this  creates  a  difference  of  feel- 
ing which  necessarily  continues  to  some  extent  through- 
out the  career  of  him  who  wins  place  from  the  fore- 


DOCTOR  AUSTIN  AND  GEORGE  BROOKS  11 

castle  among  those  specially  bred  for  the  quarter  deck. 

"  These  thoughts  solace  me  for  failure  to  reach  a  com- 
mission in  the  Navy,  and  make  me  feel  that  it  is  wise  to  put 
every  line  officer  for  it  through  the  same  mill:  then  the 
Navy  gets  the  kernel  mostly — the  chaff  is  pretty  well 
winnowed  out;  and  while  some  excellent  grain  may  come 
from  other  fields,  still  the  grinding  has  not  been  as  thor- 
ough nor  the  product  as  fine. 

"  But  to  return  to  my  story: 

"My  service  in  the  Navy  made  me  ready  witted  and 
self-reliant :  I  acquired  decision  of  character.  The  duties 
of  petty  officer  gave  me  the  habit  of  command,  and  also 
tact  in  handling  men.  At  odd  intervals  I  studied  sub- 
jects useful  in  managing  ships,  such  as  wind  and  current 
systems,  storms,  seamanship,  and  navigation — I  thought 
of  entering  the  merchant  marine. 

"  On  my  return  home,  a  large  ship  called  the  Everglade 
was  about  to  sail  for  San  Francisco,  and  through  my 
father  I  got  the  billet  of  First  Mate.  The  passage  was  a 
most  disagreeable  one:  Cape  Horn  experience  is  no  strong 
pull  on  the  proverbial  long  bow  of  a  sailor's  yarn;  it  is  a 
wearing,  disheartening  struggle  against  fierce  winds  and 
heavy  seas — beating  a  mile  to  gain  a  few  yards;  the  wind 
forever  violent,  and  the  salty  spray  pricking  one's  flesh  like 
nettles — tingling  to  burning,  even  the  skin  of  an  old  tar. 
No  sleep,  except  from  exhaustion — no  food,  except  at  hap- 
hazard. Raw,  rainy,  dismal  weather.  The  privations 
and  hardships  of  that  locality  are  enough  to  take  the  spirit 
out  of  the  most  ardent  enthusiast  of  the  sea. 

"Our  captain — a  lank,  lean  man — was  part  owner  of 
the  ship.  He  was  close  and  stingy — even  doling  out,  him- 
self, spun- yarn,  tar,  paint  and  other  stores  for  ship's  use. 


12  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"  The  food  was  little  more  than  hard  tack,  tea,  and  salt 
beef — the  last  in  chunks  like  mahogany  and  almost  as 
indigestible. 

"The  ship  was  short-handed — a  mongrel  crew  of 
Portuguese,  Finns,  Malays,  Italians,  and  others  who 
claimed  birth  in  the  United  States,  but  had  no  more  of  the 
American  spirit  and  brightness  than  Esquimaux. 

"  The  Captain  was  forever  dinning  in  our  ears  that  the 
ship  was  run  to  make  money,  and  he  certainly  bent  every 
effort  to  that  end.  He  was  slovenly,  the  ship  was  dirty, 
and  the  crew  grimy;  I  could  make  no  headway  toward 
introducing  some  of  the  cleanliness  and  system  so  char- 
acteristic of  the  Minnetonka :  generally,  ship  and  crew  take 
the  tone  of  the  commanding  officer;  I  disliked  this  one 
heartily,  but  did  my  duty  by  him,  resolved,  however,  to 
leave  on  reaching  port. 

"  The  man  who  contemplates  making  the  sea  his  calling 
should  never  begin  with  the  Navy,  if  he  intends  to  enter 
the  merchant  service  later — the  contrast  is  too  great. 

"A  ship-of-war  is  organized  on  a  scale  of  generous 
supply  both  of  men  and  material;  money  does  not  enter 
as  one  of  the  objects  striven  for:  the  Navy  is  the  one  place 
where  sordid  gain  is  not  the  theme  of  every  discourse. 

"On  the  Minnetonka,  we  had  a  crew  of  about  five 
hundred  men.  At  sail  exercise,  they  filled  the  tops,  and 
still  we  had  long  lines  of  them  on  deck  to  double  bank 
sheets  and  halliards  and  run  the  topsails  up  to  a  lively 
tune.  In  reefing  in  a  gale,  the  yards  were  black  with  men, 
like  birds  on  a  branch,  and  yet  enough  were  below  to  man 
the  gear.  In  all  our  drills — great  guns,  fire  quarters, 
target  practice,  and  fleet  tactics  in  boats  under  sail  and 
oars — men  swarmed  like  ants  on  a  hill;  and  there  was  a 


DOCTOR  AUSTIN  AND  GEORGE  BROOKS  13 

rivalry  among  the  different  divisions  that  infused  spirit  into 
the  work — the  effervescing  gas  that  gave  sparkle  to  what 
would  otherwise  be  hard  toil. 

"Interchange  of  courtesies  between  our  Admiral  and 
those  of  foreign  squadrons  varied  the  regular  routine  with 
a  little  spectacular  display — salutes  with  the  battery, 
martial  airs  by  the  band,  piping  the  side,  and  parading  the 
marine  guard. 

"  Every  evening  the  band  played  popular  airs  and  selec- 
tions from  operas  on  the  gun  deck.  Dance,  song,  and 
minstrel  performances  by  members  of  the  crew  afforded 
occasional  diversion ;  and  through  the  whole  ran  the  proud 
feeling  of  being  the  nation's  representative  on  the  high  seas. 

"  To  go  from  all  this  to  the  merchant  ship,  was  like  mov- 
ing from  the  excitement,  animation,  fullness  of  life,  and 
ever  changing  scenes  of  a  populous  city,  to  the  quiet, 
lonely  existence  of  a  squalid  village. 

"My  taste  for  the  merchant  service  was  destroyed:  to 
return  to  the  Navy  was  but  to  bury  my  ambition,  and  on 
the  threshold  of  life — I  was  only  twenty-five — I  had  no 
idea  of  doing  that. 

"  I  resolved  to  try  another  career.  As  I  have  said,  I  had 
such  an  education  as  the  public  schools  of  New  England 
afford :  I  had  also  a  taste  for  writing,  and  so  dressed  up  a 
few  incidents  of  my  sea  experience  and  offered  them  to  a 
periodical  in  San  Francisco.  They  were  taken — more 
followed — and  still  more,  with  articles  of  another  kind, 
until  eventually  I  rose  to  editorial  work  and  magazine 
contributions  on  various  topics.  The  rest  you  know — 
it  is  our  intimacy  of  ten  years. 

"  I  am  now  approaching  forty :  the  investments  we  made 
together  pay  me  a  competence  without  further  effort  on  my 


14       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

part;  but  I  am  a  great  believer  in  the  parable  of  the  talent 
being  given  us  to  yield  more — not  lie  hidden  in  a  napkin: 
besides,  I  think  I  have  discovered  the  lode  in  my  make-up 
that  can  be  worked  to  most  profit — literature;  and  I  deem 
it  best  to  seek  an  arena  where  the  gladiators  are  ignorant  of 
my  early  training — it  deprives  them  of  an  advantage.  I 
have  ambition  to  strive  for  the  highest  that  my  ability  will 
attain:  if  the  out-put  is  mediocre,  I  want  that  fact  deter- 
mined by  an  impartial  judgment  of  the  product  itself — 
not  condemned  by  circumstances  that  affect  it  in  no  wise. 
And  so  my  tale  is  told." 

"  Well,  I  must  say  it  is  an  experience  that  has  left  none 
of  its  traces  on  you,"  said  the  Doctor.  "  In  all  these  years 
I  have  not  seen  a  vestige  of  the  sailor  in  your  manner  or 
speech:  I  should  have  said  you  began  the  literary  career 
upon  leaving  college.  Now  I  see  why  you  were  so  anxious 
to  make  the  voyage  on  the  Wenonah — a  yearning  for  the 
old  life,  perhaps  ?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Brooks,  "there  is  still  a  streak  of  the 
ocean  rover  in  me;  but  we  have  not  seen  the  ship  yet — 
shall  we  take  a  look  at  her  to-morrow  ?" 

"I  am  willing;  when  would  it  suit  you — ten  o'clock?  " 

"Let  us  say  ten." 

"I  shall  call  for  you,  and  we  will  drive  down  to  the 
wharf  together." 


CHAPTER  II 

THE  AMERICAN  SHIP  WENONAH 

There,  among  the  ferns  and  mosses, 

There,  among  the  prairie  lilies, 

On  the  Muskoday,  the  meadow, 

In  the  moonlight  and  the  starlight, 

Fair  Nokomis  bore  a  daughter, 

And  she  called  her  name  WENONAH. — Longfellow. 

Wenondh — what  an  appropriate  name  for  an  American 
ship!  especially  for  a  ship-of-war;  and  the  appropriateness 
of  Indian  names  in  general  for  ships  of  our  Navy  would  be 
enhanced,  if  Congress  would  prohibit  merchantmen  from 
taking  those  borne  by  men-of-war.  Then  such  names 
become  distinctive  and  acquire  dignity  by  the  restriction; 
and  fine  battleships  bearing  the  sonorous  names  of  Minne- 
sota, Missouri  and  Delaware,  would  no  longer  have  ignoble 
relatives  among  water-logged  lumber  sloops  or  grimy  coal 
barges ;  nor  would  the  renowned  Oregon  be  kin  to  a  squat, 
dumpy  tug-boat,  puffing  black  smoke. 

Furthermore,  such  names  as  Adirondack,  Iroquois, 
Seminole,  Powhattan,  Winnebago  and  Chippewa  are  more 
suitable  for  vessels  of  the  Navy  than  Machias,  Nashville 
and  Birmingham:  the  former  stand  for  pride  and  inde- 
pendence of  race  and  condition  coupled  with  warlike 
aggressiveness;  while  the  latter  merely  denote  peaceful 
communities  pursuing  their  daily  avocations. 

15 


16  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

On  the  day  following  the  events  related  in  the  first 
chapter,  our  two  voyagers  proceeded  to  the  wharf,  hired  a 
boat,  and  pulled  out  to  the  Wenonah. 

"  Doctor, "  said  Brooks,  "  it  may  be  just  as  well  not  to 
let  these  people  know  I  ever  had  any  connection  with  the 
sea:  if,  during  the  passage,  anything  arises  to  require  it,  I 
will  tell  them,  but  not  otherwise." 

"All  right,  George;  I  am  entirely  of  your  opinion.  The 
more  one  keeps  his  affairs  to  himself,  the  better.  Of 
course,  I  mean  with  regard  to  strangers;  for  between 
friends,  the  confidences  of  intimacy  not  only  cement  the 
ties  more  closely,  but  often  afford  balm  to  wounded 
feelings." 

As  they  approached  the  ship,  Brooks  became  enthusias- 
tic over  her  beautiful  appearance.  He  told  the  boatman 
to  pull  around  her  at  a  little  distance,  so  that  they  might 
examine  her  the  better — as  a  connoisseur  would  a  blooded 
horse  put  through  his  paces. 

"Now,  Doctor,  observe  how  taut  every  rope  is — how 
neatly  furled  every  sail — how  square  the  yards:  look  at 
the  masts — they  are  stayed  perfectly.  The  hull  shines  like 
Japanese  lacquer:  you  saw  that  fine  gilding  of  an  eagle 
on  the  stern — now  look  at  the  bronzed  figure  of  the  Indian 
maiden  on  the  bow  rising  from  a  drapery  of  the  national 
colors.  Except  the  Yellowstone,  this  is  the  finest  model 
I  have  ever  seen." 

The  day  was  clear  and  balmy,  and  the  sea  smooth — a 
setting  that  enhanced  the  beauty  of  this  central  figure  of  the 
picture. 

They  pulled  to  the  ladder  at  the  starboard  side  and 
went  aboard.  A  man  of  middle  age  and  height,  whom 
they  took  to  be  the  captain,  met  them  at  the  gangway.  He 


THE  AMERICAN  SHIP  WENONAH  17 

had  sandy  hair  and  beard,  features  that  indicated  the  power 
to  command,  and  that  abrupt  firmness  of  manner  which 
comes  from  its  exercise.  His  eyes  were  large  and  gray, 
with  a  fixed  stare  that,  as  a  rule,  gave  no  hint  of  what  was 
passing  in  his  mind;  but  which,  when  he  chose,  could  be 
pleasing  and  expressive:  he  chose  but  seldom,  however; 
for  his  inner  workings  were  usually  barred  and  double- 
locked. 

He  met  the  visitors  with  a  pleasant  greeting  and  asked  if 
they  would  like  to  see  the  ship.  Upon  being  told  the  ob- 
ject of  their  visit,  he  was  more  affable — even  effusive. 

With  the  pride  of  one  who  has  something  to  show,  he 
led  them  over  the  vessel  from  forecastle  to  cabin — pointing 
out  in  an  easy,  off-hand  way,  but  with  somewhat  of 
arrogance,  the  really  excellent  features  of  the  ship.  She 
was  as  clean  and  attractive  on  board  as  she  appeared  taut 
and  trim  from  the  water.  Even  the  few  of  the  crew  they 
saw,  were  neatly  clad,  and  had  that  deference  of  manner 
that  denotes  the  disciplinarian  in  command.  On  leaving, 
Brooks  expressed  their  admiration  of  everything,  and 
added:  "Captain,  when  do  you  expect  to  be  ready  for 
sea?" 

"  Within  a  day  or  two  I  shall  be  all  ready." 

He  went  with  them  to  the  gangway,  and  they  parted 
with  good  feeling  on  both  sides. 

"Well,  George,  what  do  you  think  of  the  ship  and  her 
captain  ?"  said  the  Doctor,  when  they  were  seated  in  the 
boat,  pulling  ashore. 

"Excellent,  magnificent! — the  youthful  blood  of  the 
topman  is  again  flowing — I  could  almost  ship  before  the 
mast  in  that  vessel — we  shall  have  a  glorious  passage.  I 
am  no  judge  of  character  if  that  man  is  not  a  capable 


18  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

officer — everything  aboard  indicates  his  control  of  the 
situation. 

"  Why,  if  I  had  gone  to  such  a  ship  when  I  entered  the 
merchant  service,  I  should  have  continued  there:  it  would 
have  been  a  life  of  hardship  with  small  recompense,  but 
I  should  not  have  hesitated  at  that,  with  the  proud  pros- 
pect of  some  day  having  such  a  command.  Is  it  chance 
or  destiny  that  so  changes  the  whole  trend  of  one's 
life?" 

"  Beyond  me,"  replied  the  Doctor:  "  now  let  us  go  up  to 
the  agency  and  ascertain  the  exact  day  of  sailing." 

On  entering  the  office,  the  agent,  who  was  a  friend  of 
both  Brooks  and  the  Doctor,  met  them  with  the  remark: 

"  You  come  to  find  out  about  the  sailing  of  the  Wenonah  ? 
Well,  it  will  be  within  a  few  days,  as  the  only  thing  that 
delayed  her,  was  to  find  a  commanding  officer,  and  now  we 
have  him — let  me  introduce  Captain  Colburn." 

The  two  friends  looked  at  each  other — then  at  the  agent 
— and  finally  at  Colburn ;  but  instantly  realizing  that  some 
mistake  lay  beneath,  Brooks  recovered  presence  of  mind 
to  say. 

"We  have  just  been  aboard  the  ship  and  met  a  very 
agreeable  man  there  whom  we  thought  was  the  captain: 
this  will  explain  our  surprise.  To  be  sure,  he  did  not  say 
he  was — neither  did  he  gainsay  it,  when  we  addressed  him 
as  such." 

" O  no,"  said  the  agent;  "that  is  the  First  Mate— Jacob 
Hawse.  Captain  Rowley,  who  had  the  ship  for  some  years, 
was  stricken  with  paralysis  two  days  ago,  so  we  had  to 
decide  upon  a  successor.  Hawse  is  a  capable  officer,  but 
we  never  had  him  in  view  for  the  command,  nor  did  we 
ever  give  him  ground  to  expect  it." 


THE  AMERICAN  SHIP  WENONAH  19 

Brooks  and  the  Doctor  held  a  few  moments'  conversa- 
tion with  Colburn,  and  then  left  the  office. 

"  Doctor,  I  must  speedily  revise  my  estimate  of  that  man 
we  met  on  the  ship — his  not  telling  us  what  he  really  was 
on  board  shows  a  deceitful  trait:  but  it  may  be  that  he 
expected  the  place." 

"Now  what  is  your  diagnosis  of  the  real  captain?" 

"  He  has  not  the  facile  ways  of  Hawse :  he  will  not  laugh 
unless  there  is  joy  in  his  heart,  nor  will  he  promise  without 
the  intent  to  perform;  he  is  not  demonstrative,  but  one 
would  trust  that  look  of  earnestness — that  sincerity  of  eye. 
This  is  the  first  impression  I  receive." 

William  Colburn  left  college  to  go  to  sea,  with  the  hope 
of  building  up  a  weak  constitution ;  and  although  he  failed 
to  acquire  either  the  full  strength  or  size  to  cope  easily 
with  the  roughness  of  sea  life,  yet  he  got  both  in  fairly  good 
measure.  He  was  tall,  thin,  and  wiry — a  man  who  thinks. 
His  first  voyage  was  before  the  mast  to  Calcutta;  then 
the  Civil  War  broke  out,  and  our  merchantmen  were  swept 
from  the  sea.  He  entered  the  Volunteer  Navy — obtained 
the  rank  of  Acting  Ensign,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
at  the  close  of  the  war:  re-entered  the  merchant  service, 
had  been  second  and  first  mate  of  various  sailing  ships, 
and  was  now  about  fifty-two  years  old.  On  account  of  an 
accident,  he  had  been  unable  to  go  to  sea  for  a  year;  and 
was  wharf-master  in  San  Francisco  for  the  company  that 
owned  the  line  of  ships  to  which  the  Wenonah  belonged. 
He  had  performed  these  duties  with  such  painstaking  and 
executive  ability,  that  it  caused  his  selection  by  the  agent, 
entirely  unsought  by  him  or  any  one  for  him. 

Colburn  was  a  man  that  kept  much  to  himself.     He  had 
none  of  those  qualities  that  are  popular  in  the  company 


20  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

of  men:  he  could  not  tell  a  good  story,  did  not  drink,  or 
chew  tobacco,  or  play  cards,  or  billiards — all  (generally) 
considered  accomplishments  among  sea-farers.  He  was 
intelligent  and  accurate;  but  entirely  devoid  of  that  wit, 
humor  and  jollity  that  beget  good  fellowship.  Not  that 
ice-water  flowed  in  his  veins;  rather  naphtha,  which  at  a 
kindness  was  prone  to  reciprocate  with  genial  feeling,  or 
at  an  injury  was  apt  to  burst  into  flame — to  fire  the  eye, 
cloud  the  face,  and  make  the  speech  quick  of  utterance. 
On  board  ship,  he  held  these  impulses  well  under  control. 
He  had  a  strong  sense  of  justice  and  was  without  vain 
glory.  In  new  conditions,  he  had  to  acquire  expertness  by 
practice  rather  than  through  innate  quickness. 

Charles  Rowley,  the  previous  captain,  was  old,  rotund, 
and  as  pompous  as  an  English  butler — disposed  to  take 
his  ease,  and  content  to  let  the  Mate  order  everything, 
provided  the  semblance  of  command  remained  to  himself; 
and  indeed  he  exercised  no  more  control  than  the  wooden 
image  on  the  bow. 

The  Mate  liked  him  because  of  this  free  rein,  and  he 
repaid  it  with  gross  adulation  and  the  fiction  of  deferring 
to  him  in  certain  things,  as  if  directed  by  him;  but  in 
reality  he  had  wheedled  the  old  man  out  of  all  the  functions 
of  command,  and  was  himself  the  virtual  captain.  He 
hoped  to  be  so  in  name;  but  when  he  learned  that  Colburn 
was  appointed,  his  anger  and  chagrin  knew  no  bounds. 
He  had  even  boasted  that  he  was  to  be  captain,  and  now 
that  he  was  not  to  be — nay,  worse,  that  he  might  even  be 
deprived  of  his  present  prestige — this  cut  deep  and  he 
swore  revenge  upon  Colburn. 

The  Second  Mate  had  no  decided  character — he 
laughed  with  every  one  and  at  everything — a  mere  mass  of 


THE  AMERICAN  SHIP  WENONAH  21 

good  nature  that  all  sought  as  companionable,  to  have  a 
pleasant  word  with,  'but  nothing  more. 

The  Third  Mate  was  a  creature  of  Hawse's.  His  name 
was  Robert  Snively — not  a  bad  name  with  the  i  long;  but 
clipped  (as  by  the  men)  into  Bob  Snivly,  it  was  suggestive 
of  a  sneaking,  sycophantic  eel,  that  wormed  itself  into  every 
situation  in  order  to  report  its  nature  to  his  protector — a 
ferret  to  the  First  Mate. 

The  rest  of  the  ship's  company  were:  Sam  Ruggles, 
Engineer;  Ned  Gower,  Boatswain;  a  cook;  a  steward;  two 
Japanese  servants;  a  carpenter;  a  sailmaker;  one  fireman; 
one  coalheaver;  six  boys,  apprentices;  and  twenty-eight 
seamen  of  different  nationalities — forty-eight,  all  told. 

The  Wenonah  had  a  steel  hull  and  was  a  three  masted 
full  rigged  ship :  when  loaded  to  her  average  draft  of  seven- 
teen feet,  she  had  a  displacement  of  twenty-four  hundred 
tons ;  her  length  was  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  beam 
forty-two  feet.  Under  full  spread  of  canvas  (twenty 
thousand  square  feet),  she  could  make  fourteen  knots  in  a 
strong  breeze  with  the  wind  free.  She  had  auxiliary  steam 
power  that  gave  a  speed  of  seven  knots  in  smooth  water. 
The  propeller  was  fitted  for  uncoupling.  There  was  a 
commodious  cabin  and  long  top-gallant  forecastle;  other- 
wise the  spar  deck  was  flush.  The  galley  was  forward 
of  the  engine-room  hatch. 

The  crew  were  berthed  in  the  forecastle :  the  petty  officers 
had  bunks,  the  others  swung  in  hammocks,  and  all  had 
lockers  at  the  side  for  their  clothing  and  other  traps. 
In  cold  weather,  a  heavy  canvas  curtain  could  be  dropped 
from  the  break  of  the  top-gallant  forecastle,  thus  convert- 
ing the  crew's  quarters  into  a  spacious  room  which  could 
be  heated  by  a  coal  stove,  and  lighted  and  aired  by  large 


22  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

port-holes  in  the  sides.  In  fine  weather,  with  the  curtain 
rolled  up,  and  sun  and  air  streaming  into  it,  this  place 
presented  a  cheerful  aspect. 

The  entrance  to  the  passenger  cabin  was  through  a  long, 
wide  passage  or  vestibule:  on  the  starboard  side  of  this 
passage,  a  door  opened  into  the  steward's  pantry  and  store- 
room; on  the  port  side,  another  door  led  into  the  quarters 
for  the  mates  and  the  engineer.  These  quarters  consisted 
of  a  dining  room,  bathroom,  and  four  staterooms:  the 
latter  were  at  the  ship's  side  and  opened  into  the  dining 
room;  the  bathroom  was  in  the  after  part. 

The  vestibule  led  into  the  main  saloon,  which  was 
separated  from  the  pantry  and  officers'  quarters  by  a  bulk- 
head. The  saloon  was  about  thirty  feet  long  and  twenty- 
two  feet  wide,  painted  white  and  delicately  ornamented  in 
gold. 

There  were  rugs  on  the  floor,  a  large  central  table,  a 
book  case  well  stocked,  a  piano,  a  coal  grate,  and  a  number 
of  chairs — altogether  a  cozy,  attractive  apartment.  On 
the  bulkheads  hung  large  charts  showing  the  land  in  out- 
line, the  wind  and  current  systems  of  the  ocean,  sailing  and 
steam  routes  of  vessels,  cyclonic  movements,  and  curves  of 
the  magnetic  elements.  In  the  panels  between  the  state- 
room doors  were  pictures — woodland,  pasture,  and  farm 
views;  oxen  toiling  through  the  furrow,  the  toppling  load 
of  hay  returning  from  the  meadow,  and  the  barnyard 
alive  with  cattle  and  fowl — all  a  serene  contrast  with  the 
writhing  winds  and  waves  that  sometimes  surrounded  them. 
On  each  side,  the  staterooms  for  the  passengers  opened  into 
the  saloon;  they  were  large  and  well  furnished,  and 
designed  each  for  one  person.  A  bathroom  was  next  to  the 
last  room  on  the  port  side. 


THE  AMERICAN  SHIP  WENONAH  23 

A  bulkhead  formed  the  after  limit  of  the  saloon:  in  it 
was  a  door  which  opened  into  a  narrow  thwartship  passage, 
and  across  this,  in  the  opposite  partition,  was  another  door 
opening  into  the  Captain's  cabin — -a  semicircular  space 
having  on  each  side  his  bedroom  and  bathroom;  all  com- 
fortably, though  plainly,  furnished.  A  stairway  in  the 
narrow  passage  led  up  to  the  poop :  this  was  also  reached  by 
ladders  from  the  spar  deck  at  the  break  forward. 

The  voyage  of  the  ship  promised  unusual  variety:  she 
was  to  call  at  several  ports  between  San  Francisco  and 
New  York — at  Callao,  Punta  Arenas  in  Patagonia, 
Montevideo,  and  Trinidad  off  the  north  coast  of  South 
America :  she  had  cargo  for  all  these  ports,  and  it  was  to  be 
replaced  by  such  products  as  found  ready  sale  in  New  York. 

The  passage  from  the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic  was  to  be 
through  the  long,  intricate  channels  of  Patagonia  and  the 
Straits  of  Magellan;  thus  exchanging  the  dismal  weather, 
rough  sea,  and  discomforts  of  Cape  Horn  for  the  grand  and 
varied  scenery  along  the  novel  route  through  inland 
waters. 


CHAPTER  m 

THE  SEA  LAWYER 

For  naught  so  vile  that  on  the  earth  doth  live, 
But  to  the  earth  some  special  good  doth  give; 
Nor  aught  so  good,  but  strained  from  that  fair  use 
Revolts  from  true  birth,  stumbling  on  abuse: 
Virtue  itself  turns  vice,  being  misapplied; 
And  vice  sometime 's  by  action  dignified. 

— Shakespeare. 

FEW  sentiments  appeal  more  strongly  to  human  sym- 
pathy than  that  manifested  by  a  generous  effort  in  behalf 
of  the  weaker  side — befriending  the  timid  boy  against  the 
blustering  bully:  whoever  does  it,  is  possessed  of  moral 
courage ;  for  he  risks  the  yelps  of  the  pack  that  ever  follow 
the  prospective  victor — that  are  always  with  the  major- 
ity— on  the  side  that  is  popular. 

In  almost  every  community  there  is  an  aggressive  mem- 
ber whose  salient  trait  is  to  harass  or  persecute:  the  rest 
yield  him  support  by  their  silence  or  inaction.  A  single 
bull-dog  will  cow  a  whole  kennel  of  spaniels,  and  the  under 
dog  gets  the  bites — the  taunts,  the  jeers,  the  ridicule,  the 
social  cut,  the  imposition  of  every  form;  and  few,  if  any, 
will  defend  him — speak  up  boldly  and  call  the  perpetrator 
of  all  such  tyranny  by  his  proper  name — coward!  Let 
it  come  to  the  actual  blow,  however,  and  no  doubt  some 
looker-on — stung  in  his  manhood — will  interpose;  but  the 

24 


THE  SEA  LAWYER  25 

tongue  is  a  keener  weapon  than  the  fist,  and  its  venomous 
thrusts  will  find  few  possessed  of  the  moral  courage  to 
parry  them  with  a  charitable  word,  or  wholly  repulse  them 
with  the  true  version  of  what  was  circulating  as  an  in- 
famous calumny. 

Parents  and  guardians  of  the  young  often  instil  moral 
cowardice  into  their  charge  when  least  they  think  it.  To 
illustrate:  in  olden  phrase,  once  upon  a  time  there  were 
two  boys,  whom  we  shall  call  Jack  and  Bill,  aged  about 
ten.  They  lived  near  together.  Jack  was  short  and 
chunky,  strong  and  full  of  quarrelsome  humors:  Bill  was 
tall  and  lean — a  nervous,  timid,  quiet  boy.  Jack  was  no 
more  the  object  of  solicitude  in  his  home  than  the  house- 
hold cat  or  dog,  and  he  went  and  came  with  equal  free- 
dom ;  but  Bill  was  watched  by  an  elder  sister  (his  guardian 
and  support)  with  great  care,  in  order  to  have  him  grow 
up  properly  and  untainted  by  the  habits  of  bad  boys.  He 
was  not  allowed  to  mingle  in  their  games,  nor  take  part  in 
their  frolics  and  sports.  And  so  it  came  to  pass  that  this 
life  apart  brought  upon  him  the  ill-will  of  the  other  boys. 
Jack,  in  particular,  harassed  him:  whenever  there  was  a 
game  of  marbles,  or  baseball,  or  any  other  amusement  that 
gathered  a  crowd  of  boys,  the  sight  of  Bill  passing  by 
brought  out  a  taunt  from  Jack — a  dare  to  take  a  hand 
in  the  game;  and  jeering  laughter  broke  from  the  group. 
These  persecutions  multiplied  and  worried  Bill  so  that  he 
would  go  far  out  of  his  way  to  avoid  them.  His  life  was 
a  torture — he  longed  to  strangle  Jack;  but — a  fight!  Oh! 
the  enormity  of  such  a  breach  of  his  sister's  code  of  pro- 
priety could  not  be  thought  of:  that  it  might  be  in  a  just 
cause  would  be  no  plea  in  bar  of  punishment  by  his  sister. 

And  so  he  bore  his  burden ;  but  at  last  it  grew  too  heavy — 


26  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

he  could  carry  it  no  longer,  so  he  worked  his  moral  courage 
up  to  the  point  of  casting  the  load  off  altogether,  or  being 
crushed  by  it. 

The  climax  came  about  in  this  way:  one  day  a  circus 
was  in  town,  and  all  the  boys,  except  Jack  and  Bill,  went 
to  peep  under  the  tent.  Bill  sought  Jack  and  said  to  him : 

"Now,  you've  run  me  long  enough,  let's  have  it  out" — 
and  they  went  into  an  adjoining  field.  Recourse  was  had 
to  the  provocative  chip,  and  Bill  said, 

"  If  you  knock  this  off,  I'll  lick  you." 

Jack  raised  his  hand,  arrogant  in  the  confidence  of 
crushing  the  reed  before  him,  but  he  never  touched  the 
chip.  Bill  struck  him  full  in  the  face — Jack  fell  backward 
— Bill  jumped  on  him,  and  with  one  knee  on  his  breast, 
rained  blow  after  blow — on  eyes,  on  nose,  on  mouth — 
setting  each  home  with  the  injunction,  rather  than  query: 

"Now,  will  you  ever  run  me  again,"  and  the  feeble 
"no"  in  response  was  only  met  by  another  blow.  The 
fury  of  long  pent-up  feelings — the  jeers  and  taunts  of  many 
months  gave  strength  to  his  muscle,  and  this  fury  had  to 
be  spent  ere  the  blows  would  cease. 

The  bully — bruised,  bloody,  and  blinded-jr-was  at  last 
let  up  and  allowed  to  sneak  away. 

Bill,  trembling  from  exhaustion,  but  without  a  scratch 
(for  Jack  never  hit  him)  walked  and  walked  the  field- 
afraid  to  go  home,  lest  his  excitement  should  disclose  his 
crime,  and  he  receive  his  chastisement — a  whipping  for 
having  stopped  forever  a  host  of  small,  mean  persecutions! 

It  was  noticeable,  however,  that  ever  after,  when  he 
passed  a  group  of  boys,  he  went  by  with  head  erect — a 
little  of  the  gamecock  in  his  stride ;  and  the  boys  were  very 
careful  not  to  tempt  his  spurs. 


THE  SEA  LAWYER  27 

It  would  be  superfluous  to  draw  the  moral  of  Jack  and 
Bill:  vary  the  circumstances,  and  every  one  will  recall 
instances  to  illustrate  the  general  case.  Many  a  really 
courageous  spirit  is  cowed  by  an  actual  craven. 

But  whether  the  moral  courage  be  exercised  by  the 
individual  for  freeing  himself  from  a  petty  tyrant,  or  on 
behalf  of  another  to  rid  him  of  a  scourge,  this  noble  trait 
has  also  its  degenerate  poor  relation — just  as  we  find  con- 
trasts in  almost  everything :  the  toothsome  pippin  and  the 
puckering  crab  apple  belong  to  the  same  family. 

The  sea  lawyer  is  the  noxious  element  of  a  ship's  com- 
pany— the  sand  and  grit  that  are  forever  getting  in  between 
command  and  obedience,  replacing  their  smooth  running 
by  sulkiness,  discontent,  and  anger.  He  exists  in  almost 
every  ship — sometimes  among  the  officers,  sometimes 
among  the  crew,  often  among  both.  Sam  Ruggles, 
Engineer,  was  the  sea  lawyer  of  the  Wenonah. 

On  the  table  lands  of  Arizona  grows  a  species  of  tree — 
the  opuntia  spinosior — that  attains  a  height  of  fifteen  feet 
and  a  diameter  of  eight  inches.  It  springs  from  an  arid 
soil  and  breathes  a  parched  air.  It  lives  apart  from  its 
kind:  the  majestic  oak,  the  fragrant  pine,  or  the  beautifui 
maple  never  comes  within  its  view.  Its  body  grows 
crooked;  its  bark  is  scaly,  dark,  and  rugged;  and  it  is 
specked  with  clusters  of  short,  sharp  needles — a  kind  of 
vegetable  porcupine.  A  cut  along  or  across  the  fibre  dis- 
closes equal  deformity  of  internal  structure:  the  lines  of 
growth — its  wrinkles  of  age,  are  closely  grouped,  and  so 
twisted  that  scarcely  an  inch  of  surface  has  them  regular; 
all  the  crudeness  of  the  exterior  permeates  the  wood  and 
pith:  and  such  was  Sam  Ruggles — a  human  Opuntia 
Spinosior. 


28  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

The  sea  lawyer  exercises  a  kind  of  moral  courage,  but 
it  is  all  awry.  He  affects  to  stand  up  for  the  rights  of  his 
shipmates,  but  in  reality  he  only  lets  loose  his  own  can- 
tankerousness. 

The  usefulness  of  laws  for  the  government  of  sea- 
farers depends  to  some  extent  on  the  knowledge  of  such 
laws  by  sailors  and  their  courage  to  make  a  stand  for  their 
rights :  officers  may  be  cruel  and  oppressive,  and  then  it  is 
well  that  the  seaman  should  know  where  he  stands  and 
make  an  effort  against  being  trodden  on;  but  this  is  very 
different  from  the  practice  of  the  sea  lawyer;  he  cannot  be 
touched  at  any  point — however  gently — but  like  the  nettle, 
will  sting. 

And  he  often  stings  with  the  venom  distilled  from 
snatches  of  unguarded  conversation  with  him,  which  he 
lays  up  in  his  memory — to  be  drawn  forth  at  opportune 
moments  for  the  discomfiture  of  their  author. 

Interchange  of  little  services  are  as  conducive  to  smooth- 
ness of  intercourse  as  barter  of  products  was  to  the  support 
of  life  when  money  acted  so  small  a  part  as  the  medium  of 
exchange :  and  besides  affording  each  recipient  more  of  the 
comforts  and  pleasures  of  life  than  he  could  get  for  actual 
coin,  these  little  services  cultivate  friendliness  and  promote 
the  natural  order — companionship  and  congregation, 
rather  than  selfishness  and  segregation. 

The  man  who  merely  obeys  orders — literally  carries  out 
the  law  without  exercising  that  discretion  which  is  essential 
to  the  execution  of  its  intent,  might  as  well  be  replaced  by 
an  automaton.  In  practical  life,  it  is  the  actual  man  that 
must  be  reckoned  with — the  moods  of  ill-humor  from  bad 
conditions,  as  well  as  those  of  good  feeling  from  favorable 
circumstances:  and  so  with  laws  and  regulations — they 


THE  SEA  LAWYER  29 

must  be  bent  somewhat  to  suit  the  real  condition ;  for  how 
can  an  inflexible  rule  measure  warped  surfaces  ? 

The  sea  lawyer  insists  on  the  literal  observance  of  rules 
and  regulations — he  has  not  in  him  a  drop  of  the  oil  that 
lubricates  the  intercourse  of  life.  The  very  laws  devised 
for  the  proper  government  of  the  community  of  which  he 
is  a  member,  he  wrenches  to  evil — for  chronic  fault 
finding  and  the  avoidance  of  work:  he  is  the  self- 
constituted  walking  delegate  of  the  sea.  Like  his  proto- 
type ashore,  and  the  shyster  lawyer,  he  is  forever  quibbling. 
To  take  an  order  cheerfully  is  no  trait  of  his  nature — his 
first  impulse  is  to  find  an  excuse  or  reason  for  evading  it. 

If  a  man  is  punished,  the  sea  lawyer  knows  exactly  the 
legal  kind  and  limit,  and  if  these  should  be  exceeded,  he 
spreads  the  word  among  the  crew  and  sets  up  a  ferment. 
So,  if  the  food  is  not  good,  he  is  the  vicious  leaven  that 
makes  it  worse — poisons  the  mind  more  than  that  does 
the  stomach.  A  growler,  a  grumbler,  with  all  the  malig- 
nity of  old  Shylock  insisting  upon  the  literal  observance  of 
his  bond. 

Unlike  the  man  on  shore  who  stands  up  for  his  rights, 
this  weasel  of  the  sea  but  breeds  ill-will;  because  his 
captiousness  is  disseminated  through  a  small,  close  com- 
munity, already  too  prone  to  mere  dissatisfaction. 

On  board  ship,  a  vein  of  sympathy  in  common  against 
the  restraints  of  authority  and  discipline  pervades  the 
crew:  the  influences  and  interests  that  prevail  on  shore 
toward  breaking  up  any  similar  unwholesome  cohesive- 
ness,  do  not  exist  on  the  ship ;  and  therefore  the  sea  lawyer 
has  a  clear,  fertile  field  to  grow  his  thorns  and  burrs — 
he  but  widens  the  breach  between  command  and  obedience 
by  his  every  spur  to  discontent. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  PASSAGE  FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO 

ON  THE  day  the  Doctor  and  Brooks  went  to  the  agent's 
office,  Colburn  received  his  appointment  as  Captain  of 
the  Wenonah. 

He  sent  word  to  the  Mate,  requesting  him  to  have  a  boat 
at  the  wharf  the  following  morning  at  nine,  when  he  would 
go  aboard  and  take  command. 

Promptly  at  that  hour  he  was  there,  and  found  the  boat 
waiting  for  him — a  trim  little  craft,  newly  painted,  well 
equipped,  and  manned  by  four  seamen  in  clean  clothes. 
This  considerateness  on  the  part  of  the  Mate  made  a 
favorable  impression  on  Colburn;  and  it  was  enhanced 
by  the  cordiality  of  his  reception  at  the  gangway:  even  a 
little  ceremony  was  thrown  into  this  reception  by  the 
presence  of  the  second  and  third  mates,  the  engineer 
and  the  boatswain — the  latter  a  fine,  stalwart  specimen 
of  manhood. 

After  mutual  greetings,  the  Captain  went  to  the  cabin 
and  exchanged  his  suit  of  plain  clothes  for  a  uniform  of 
navy  blue  serge:  the  coat  was  a  sack,  square-cut  at  the 
bottom,  double  breasted,  and  buttoned  up;  it  had  a  small 
silver  star  on  each  side  of  the  collar,  and  three  narrow 
bands  of  gold  lace  on  each  sleeve  near  the  cuff  and  above 
these  bands  a  gold  star;  the  trousers  were  entirely  plain; 
the  cap,  of  the  yachting  pattern,  had  a  large  sloping  vizor, 
and  above  this  was  a  spread  eagle  holding  arrows  in  his 

30 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  31 

talons,  all  embroidered  in  gold  and  silver  thread.  Though 
plain,  the  uniform  was  very  becoming  and  suitable  for  the 
service  it  was  designed  for. 

Clothes  do  not  make  the  man,  but  they  do  make  him 
either  presentable,  distinctive,  and  impressive ;  or  awkward 
and  without  force.  The  skillful  manipulations  of  his 
baton  by  the  drum-major  would  excite  scarcely  less  mirth 
than  the  antics  of  the  clown,  were  it  not  for  his  gorgeous 
trappings:  the  bear-skin  hat  alone  adds  a  cubit  to  his 
pomposity  and  lifts  him  out  of  the  capers  of  harlequin. 
The  order  from  the  Colonel  acquires  weight  and  authority 
coming  from  epauletted  shoulders,  rather  than  from  a  cut- 
away suit  and  derby  hat.  Even  in  this  Republican 
country,  we  deem  it  conducive  to  the  dignity  of  our  highest 
courts  to  clothe  the  judges  in  silken  robes.  And  what  a 
shock  it  would  be  to  our  feelings  to  see  a  clergyman 
officiate  in  garments  other  than  the  vestments  consecrated 
to  the  ministrations  of  his  office!  This  varied  suitability 
of  setting  goes  far  with  all  men,  but  most  with  those  given 
to  using  their  senses  rather  than  their  minds:  tinsel  and 
ornament  appeal  more  to  the  Pawnee  of  the  Plains  than 
to  the  Puritan  of  early  Plymouth.  And  it  was  the  thought 
of  this  aid  to  discipline  and  authority — impressing  the 
seaman,  as  well  as  making  him  seemly  in  appearance — 
that  decided  Captain  Colburn  to  put  the  ship's  company 
into  uniform.  He  laid  the  project  before  the  agent,  who 
heartily  approved  it. 

Although  the  ship  had  been  ready  to  sail,  still  a  day 
or  two  previous  some  well  paying  cargo  offered,  and  the 
agent  decided  to  delay  her  to  take  it :  this  afforded  Colburn 
the  opportunity  to  get  a  supply  of  uniform  for  the  men. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few — the  nucleus  of  the  old  crew 


32  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

— the  men  were  a  hard  looking  lot,  rigged  out  in  every  kind 
of  nondescript  clothes:  they  had  just  been  received  on 
board  in  anticipation  of  the  immediate  sailing  of  the  ship, 
as  originally  intended. 

The  Captain  called  the  Mates  and  Engineer  into  the 
cabin  and  told  them  of  the  uniform  order — saying,  that 
for  the  Mates  it  would  be  the  same  as  his  own,  except  the 
stars  on  the  collar  and  the  number  of  gold  stripes  on  the 
sleeves :  the  stars  would  be  omitted  entirely,  and  the  stripes 
would  be  two  for  the  First  Mate  and  one  for  each  of  the 
others;  the  Engineer  would  have  two  narrow  stripes  of 
crimson  cloth  on  the  sleeves  near  the  cuff,  and  no  stars; 
otherwise  his  uniform  was  to  be  the  same. 

The  First  Mate  gave  no  indication  of  pleasure  or  dis- 
pleasure at  the  order;  he  merely  said,  "I  shall  order  my 
uniform  to-day."  The  other  two  Mates  took  their  cue 
and  said  the  same.  In  reality,  the  First  Mate  was  so  vain 
and  fond  of  display,  that  this  new  plumage  only  afforded 
him  another  opportunity  to  strut. 

The  Engineer,  however,  with  the  air  and  tone  of  tres- 
passed rights,  said:  "When  I  joined  this  ship,  there  was 
no  rule  about  uniform;  and  I  guess  I  don't  want  to  put 
myself  in  any  man's  livery." 

"  This  is  not  livery,  any  more  than  the  uniform  of  a  naval 
officer  is;  it  is  merely  a  distinctive  dress — not  a  badge  of 
servitude,"  replied  the  Captain. 

"  Well,  I  don't  want  to  be  told  what  to  wear — I  want  to 
dress  as  I  please." 

"That  you  can  do  elsewhere,  but  not  on  this  ship;  and 
I  must  know  your  decision  by  evening." 

The  Engineer  went  out,  muttering  under  his  breath: 
"I  guess  I  won't  be  kicked  out  by  a  newcomer  like  you." 


FROM   SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  33 

The  second  and  third  mates  went  with  him;  the  First 
Mate  remained  and  said: 

"That  fellow  will  give  you  trouble — he's  very  hard  to 
manage." 

"I  think  he'll  come  round,"  said  the  Captain.  "Now, 
Mr.  Hawse,  call  all  hands  to  muster  on  the  quarter  deck — 
I  want  to  tell  the  men  about  the  uniform  they  will  have  to 
wear." 

"Excuse  me,  Captain,  if  I  suggest  that  you  wait  until 
we  get  to  sea:  the  men  have  just  come  aboard  and  are  full 
of  shore  liberty  and  rum;  the  change  you  propose  is  new  to 
the  merchant  service — they  will  kick  against  it,  and  some 
of  them  will  leave;  but  if  you  wait  till  we  get  to  sea,  then 
you  have  them  trapped  and  can  put  the  screws  on  as  you 
please." 

"No,"  said  the  Captain;  "I  prefer  to  act  frankly  with 
them ;  if  any  go,  we  can  get  others :  I  shall  not  begin  with 
a  deception — it  would  be  a  just  cause  of  grievance  for 
jack." 

The  Mate  went  out  and  had  the  Boatswain  pipe  all 
hands  to  muster.  When  they  were  aft  on  the  port  side  of 
the  quarter  deck,  it  was  a  variegated  aspect  they  presented 
— much  like  a  rabble  corralled  from  a  street  row:  some  in 
red  shirts,  others  in  blue,  and  more  in  striped;  there  were 
hats  once  of  the  general  derby  type,  but  now  so  battered 
that  they  had  only  a  family  resemblance  of  bulge  and 
break;  some  of  the  men  had  short,  scant  jackets;  some 
long,  loose  coats;  and  many  no  outer  covering  at  all;  the 
trousers  of  some  were  tucked  into  the  tops  of  heavy  cow- 
hide boots,  and  there  were  those  who  had  only  one  leg  in 
and  the  other  out — altogether  a  motley  crew  fit  for  a 
pirate's  deck. 


34  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

The  Captain  came  out  and  stood  on  the  starboard  side 
with  the  other  officers:  a  look  of  contempt  at  his  neat 
appearance  overspread  the  faces  of  the  crew — they  thought, 
"It  will  be  easy  working  this  dude;  he's  got  no  sand." 

"My  men,"  said  the  Captain,  "on  leaving  this  port, 
you  will  have  to  put  on  uniform;  it  is  to  be  like  that  worn 
by  seamen  of  our  Navy;  a  supply  will  be  brought  on  board 
to-morrow,  and  it  will  be  sold  to  you  for  what  it  cost. 
You  will  have  to  get  only  what  is  needed  for  daily  wear, 
and  afford  a  change;  and  you  must  scrub  your  clothes 
every  day.  In  night  watches,  or  very  bad  weather,  you 
can  put  on  such  other  clothes  as  you  have  until  they  are 
worn  out.  In  going  on  liberty  in  other  ports,  you  can 
wear  either  plain  clothes  or  uniform,  as  you  please.  If  any 
of  you  are  not  satisfied  with  this,  let  me  know  it  by  evening, 
and  you  will  get  your  discharge.  I  am  gomg  to  act  fairly 
with  you.  Mr.  Hawse,  pipe  down." 

The  men  went  forward  with  a  buzz  of  varied  comment. 

A  little  later,  the  First  Mate  went  on  the  forecastle, 
and  in  the  snatches  of  conversation  he  heard  among  the 
men,  he  found  much  discontent  and  suspicion  of  the  new 
order.  At  last,  one  of  them  said,  "  Well,  Mate,  what  does 
this  new  rig  mean — is  it  a  traverse  to  get  our  money  ?" 

"How  can  that  be — didn't  the  Captain  say  he  would 
charge  you  only  what  the  clothes  cost  ?"  And  the  grimace 
that  puckered  his  face  might  well  be  translated  into  Mark 
Antony's  sneer,  "And  the  Captain  is  an  honorable  man." 

However,  the  upshot  was,  that  only  three  malcontents 
left  the  ship,  and  the  Engineer  thought  best  to  don  the 
uniform  and  keep  his  place. 

The  Captain,  accompanied  by  the  Mate,  now  inspected 
the  ship ;  and  was  much  gratified  by  the  order  and  cleanli- 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  35 

ness  generally  prevalent :  only  in  two  or  three  instances  did 
he  find  a  subterfuge — stowholes  for  refuse  and  dirt  cov- 
ered by  a  canvas  screen.  Finally,  they  came  to  a  small 
room  which  the  Mate  said  in  an  off-hand  way — "  a  store- 
room," and  was  passing  on;  but  the  Captain  wanted  it 
opened,  and  when  this  was  done,  it  revealed  a  grocery 
store  in  miniature:  canned  fruits  and  vegetables,  con- 
densed milk,  pipes  and  tobacco,  thread,  needles,  soap, 
brushes,  and  a  variety  of  other  simple  articles. 

"Whose  are  these?"  said  Colburn. 

"Captain  Rowley  let  me  keep  them  for  the  men,  sir." 

"Do  they  own  them  as  a  joint-stock  company?" 

"No  sir;  each  buys  from  this  supply  what  he  wants." 

"But  who  provides  the  supply?" 

"I  do,  sir";  and  the  Mate  became  very  complaisant 
in  tone  and  manner. 

"  How  are  the  prices  fixed  ?" 

"I  do  that,  sir — a  mere  trifle  over  what  they  cost." 

"Well,  if  they  want  to  buy  little  comforts,  it  is  a  con- 
venience to  have  them  within  reach;  and  I  am  willing  you 
should  continue  your  store  as  long  as  it  gives  rise  to  no 
trouble,  and  the  articles  are  sold  at  a  reasonable  rate. 
As  early  as  possible,  let  me  have  a  schedule  of  the  cost 
and  selling  price  of  each  article." 

"Thank  you,  sir — I'll  do  so";  and  a  load  was  lifted 
from  the  Mate's  heart.  He  was  greedy  for  gold,  and  it 
would  gladden  the  heart  of  any  money  changer  to  realize 
the  rate  of  usance  he  called  a  small  advance  on  the  cost. 

"  Mr.  Hawse,  I  see  there  are  three  mates — how  are  the 
watches  distributed?" 

"In  port,  sir,  the  second  and  third  mates  take  day's 
duty,  turn  about;  and  I  have  general  supervision  all  the 


36  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

time:  at  sea,  I  always  take  the  morning  watch  (from  four 
to  eight)  and  the  second  dog  watch  (six  to  eight)  besides 
keeping  a  look-out  on  everything  about  the  ship  during 
the  day;  the  second  and  third  mates  take  all  the  other 
watches  both  day  and  night,  relieving  each  other.  This 
gives  each  of  them  six  hours'  duty  one  day  and  twelve 
the  next.  Captain  Rowley  let  me  arrange  it  so." 

"For  the  present,  I  will  not  interfere  with  this,"  said 
the  Captain. 

In  reality,  Rowley  had  nothing  to  do  with  it:  Hawse 
devised  the  whole  plan — lightening  his  own  burden  by 
appointing  a  third  mate,  while  he  himself  had  the  whole 
day  to  be  about  deck  and  have  every  one  see  that  he  was 
the  source  of  power. 

A  week  passed,  during  which  Captain  Colburn  was 
occupied  in  swinging  ship  and  compensating  the  com- 
passes, stationing  the  crew  for  various  evolutions,  carry- 
ing out  the  uniform  project,  and  becoming  acquainted 
with  the  peculiarities  of  officers  and  men.  Then  all  was 
ready,  and  the  passengers  came  on  board:  they  consisted 
of  George  Brooks,  Doctor  Austin,  his  wife  and  daughter 
Adeline  (aged  six),  and  a  French  governess,  Mademoiselle 
Marguerite. 

The  day  of  sailing  was  fine  and  clear,  with  a  good 
breeze  blowing  out  the  Golden  Gate.  All  morning,  Sam 
Ruggles  had  been  fidgeting  about  in  a  self  important  way 
— conscious  that  soon  he  would  have  a  part  to  play.  He 
expected  that  the  Captain  would  send  for  him  to  tell  him 
to  get  up  steam,  but  Colburn  made  no  sign  to  indicate  that 
he  thought  of  either  engine  or  Engineer.  At  last,  when 
the  pilot  came  on  board,  Ruggles  could  stand  it  no  longer; 
so  with  an  injured  air  he  strode  up  to  the  Captain  and  said: 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  37 

"I  suppose,  sir,  you  know  I'll  want  about  four  hours  to 
get  up  steam." 

"We  shall  not  need  steam/'  replied  the  Captain;  "the 
wind  is  fair,  and  we'll  save  coal,  as  I  shall  get  underway 
under  sail." 

Hurt  in  his  vanity,  Ruggles  turned  away  muttering  under 
his  breath: 

"I  shan't  weep  if  you  foul  something  or  if  you  run 
aground." 

He  felt  bitter  at  the  thought  of  the  Captain  being  inde- 
pendent of  him — using  sail  when  conditions  favored. 

The  Boatswain  called:  "All  hands  up  anchor!"  This 
was  tripped — sail  made  to  royals — and  the  Wenonah 
glided  slowly  out  to  sea. 

In  stationing  the  ship's  company  for  getting  underway, 
Colburn  assigned  the  First  Mate  to  duty  on  the  forecastle 
and  the  other  Mates  to  the  main  and  mizzen  masts  respec- 
tively; he  himself  to  take  charge  and  give  orders  from  the 
poop.  Hawse  told  him,  however,  that  Captain  Rowley 
let  him  get  the  ship  underway  and  bring  her  to  anchor — 
in  fact,  carry  on  all  the  manoeuvres.  His  tone  and  manner 
were  so  beseeching  to  let  this  continue,  that  Colburn,  in 
order  to  soften  the  fall,  said: 

"This  time,  Mr.  Hawse,  you  can  do  it;  but  hereafter, 
your  station  will  be  on  the  forecastle."  The  Captain  had 
no  idea  of  letting  any  other  than  himself  exercise  the 
functions  of  command. 

After  the  ship  got  on  her  course,  Hawse  sought  Ruggles 
and  they  proceeded  to  discuss  the  situation:  each  had  a 
festering  wound — they  made  common  cause  and  swore 
mutual  fealty;  and  it  is  needless  to  say  that  their  compact 
boded  no  good  to  the  Captain, 


38  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Whoever  in  a  position  of  authority  has  to  deal  chiefly 
with  people  of  the  lower  classes,  will  find  that  it  has  a 
reflex  influence  on  himself — tending  to  make  him  curt, 
rough,  and  inconsiderate:  this  is  particularly  noticeable  in 
all  public  institutions,  such  as  the  Savings  Banks  of  a  large 
city,  where  the  depositors  are  often  treated  like  dumb 
animals — to  be  led  or  driven.  The  supercilious  clerk  or 
cashier,  on  his  perch,  is  conscious  of  greater  intelligence 
and  of  knowing  the  routine  of  the  place;  the  depositor  is 
generally  of  humble  station — new  to  what  is  required, 
and  timid  as  to  his  action:  the  result  is,  that  the  one 
haughtily  directs — even  harshly  orders,  and  the  other 
meekly  obeys. 

Something  akin  to  this  exists  on  board  ship.  The 
Captain  gives  orders  that  admit  of  no  gainsaying  (as 
should  be  the  case);  and  the  constant  exercise  of  this 
authority  coupled  with  the  unquestioning  acquiescence 
of  the  small  community  subject  to  it,  tends  to  make  the 
Captain  arrogant  and  arbitrary,  and  those  about  him 
subservient. 

During  his  long  service  as  a  subordinate  (this  was 
Colburn's  first  command),  he  had  thought  much  of  this 
and  other  phases  of  sea  life;  and  had  resolved  that  if  ever 
he  got  a  ship,  he  would  try  not  to  yield  to  the  hardening 
influences  of  the  position:  he  therefore  was  unusually 
disposed  to  look  on  both  sides  of  every  matter  and  to  have 
his  action  tempered  with  consideration  for  the  rights  of 
all.  If  it  were  just  to  concede  a  measure,  he  would  do 
it  because  of  its  justice — frankly  and  fully — and  when  it 
would  be  appreciated  by  the  recipient,  rather  than  wait 
until  it  lost  by  delay  and  had  either  the  appearance  or  the 
reality  of  being  forced  from  him. 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  39 

During  the  Civil  War,  he  had  served  in  many  ships 
and  had  seen  all  kinds  of  change  among  their  officers, 
bringing  into  prominence  the  personality  of  each  in  carry- 
ing on  duty.  He  had  seen  the  blusterer,  both  as  captain 
and  as  executive  officer,  come  on  board — upset  the  estab- 
lished order  with  the  *  rudeness  of  a  whirlwind,  and  as 
quickly  subside  into  indolence,  leaving  disorganization, 
slovenliness,  and  discontent  in  its  wake.  No  thought, 
no  combination,  no  system  entered  this  procedure;  the 
crew  lost  interest,  and  every  one — man  and  officer  alike — 
had  a  little  of  his  own  way,  which  speedily  brought  about 
a  chaotic  state  of  affairs:  things  drifted,  there  was  no  guid- 
ing hand,  and  the  ship  only  needed  a  crisis  to  disclose  her 
laxity  of  organization. 

To  this  worthless  officer  would  succeed  a  competent, 
painstaking,  thoughtful  man  who  studied  the  situation, 
and  step  by  step,  introduced  a  regular  routine,  proper 
bearing  among  the  officers,  arid  ready,  respectful  obedience 
from  the  crew:  there  was  a  man  at  the  helm  who  had  a 
firm  hold  upon  it  and  was  directing  the  course  of  all  toward 
efficiency. 

But  he  angered  them — every  prod  to  ease  and  self 
indulgence  brought  out  a  growl;  they  had  become  so 
accustomed  to  looking  upon  an  order  as  a  thing  to  be 
questioned,  or  evaded,  or  obeyed  (if  at  all)  at  their  own 
leisure  and  in  their  own  way,  that  when  prompt  and  silent 
compliance  was  required,  it  excited  animosity. 

Nobody  likes  to  receive  an  order;  and  only  by  reason  of 
its  frequency  does  it  grate  less  harshly  on  ears  that  are 
legally  subject  to  it,  than  on  those  that  may  ignore  it. 
The  superiority  implied  in  an  order  wounds  our  pride, 
and  if  it  interferes  with  some  habit  into  which  we  have 


40  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

grown,  or  enjoins  better  work,  or  decrees  new  duties,  then 
it  irritates,  and  inspires  us  with  resentment  toward  its 
source.  If  that  source  be  the  Captain  of  a  ship  the  mal- 
contents have  opportunities  innumerable  for  creating  a 
strong  current  counter  to  him:  the  Executive  Officer  of  a 
ship-of-war,  or  the  First  Mate  of  a  merchantman,  holds 
a  strong  position  for  good  or  evil  under  such  circumstances. 
If  he  stems  the  current — as  he  should — it  acquires  but 
little  force ;  but  if  he  goes  with  it :  worse,  if  he  adds  his  own 
discontent — if  directly,  or  by  innuendo,  he  represents  every 
wrong,  injustice  and  harsh  order  as  coming  from  the  Cap- 
tain, and  he  himself  the  breakwater  upon  which  its  vio- 
lence is  spent  (softening  all  things  to  the  crew) — then, 
indeed,  the  captain  of  that  ship  has  a  swollen  tide  of  ill- 
will  to  contend  with. 

Whenever  there  is  a  new  accession  to  any  body  of  men, 
he  is  regarded  by  the  old  members  with  a  feeling  somewhat 
of  patronizing  superiority:  they  resent  his  taking  a  prom- 
inent part  until  he  has  become  seasoned  in  the  ways  of 
the  association.  In  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  the 
new  member — however  talented  and  renowned — has  to 
abide  his  time  in  minor  places  ere  he  is  thought  of  for 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs;  and  if 
we  descend  to  the  employees  of  a  hotel,  the  aspirant  for 
a  waiter's  place  must  serve  his  apprenticeship  in  carrying 
dishes:  gradual  rise  is  the  rule  in  every  organization;  and 
its  infraction — the  leap  to  the  top — excites  jealousy  and 
anger.  Even  on  a  ship,  the  occasion  of  a  new  captain 
assuming  command  evokes  a  feeling  streaked  with  this 
hostility:  he  is  a  stranger  among  those  who  have  become 
intimate  by  long  association;  a  bond  unites  them  against 
him  who  comes  to  control  them,  and  although  he  does  so 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  41 

entirely  by  right  and  according  to  custom,  still  their  claws 
are  out  and  their  backbones  stiffened.  From  long  expe- 
rience, none  appreciated  this  feature  better  than  Colburn; 
and  now  he  was  in  a  situation  that  threatened  to  bring  it 
out  in  full  vigor.  Here  was  a  man — the  First  Mate — 
who  had  practically  been  captain  of  the  ship  and  who 
expected  to  be  so  in  name:  he  was  arrogant,  cunning, 
and  ambitious — a  strong  nature.  Suddenly,  all  his 
aspirations  are  destroyed;  and  not  only  this,  but  he  must 
be  shorn  of  the  independent  authority  he  had  so  long 
exercised. 

To  be  sure,  it  was  a  small  domain  for  a  violent  uprising; 
but  the  tortures  of  hell  can  be  as  painful  in  the  contracted 
limits  of  Kilauea  as  in  the  extensive  regions  of  Dante's 
Inferno. 

Colburn  resolved  to  deal  gently  with  the  First  Mate, 
both  from  a  kindly  impulse  and  from  a  knowledge  of  the 
harm  he  might  do  in  thwarting  his  own  efforts:  he  was 
fully  alive  to  the  fact  that  one  who  skates  on  thin  ice  must 
pick  his  way  around  holes  and  cracks ;  and  in  this  frame  of 
mind,  he  sent  for  the  First  Mate  the  day  after  leaving  San 
Francisco,  and  spoke  as  follows: 

"  Mr.  Hawse,  as  we  are  strangers  to  each  other,  I  want 
to  tell  you  my  views  about  the  ship's  routine;  and  I  hope 
this  understanding  will  help  to  have  it  go  on  smoothly. 

"Every  morning,  at  nine  o'clock,  the  crew  will  be 
inspected  on  deck,  the  port  watch  by  the  second  mate, 
and  the  starboard  watch  by  the  third  mate :  the  men  must 
be  in  uniform,  clean  and  neat.  The  mates  will  report 
their  condition  to  you,  and  you  to  me.  You  yourself  are 
to  inspect  the  cleanliness  and  equipment  of  all  parts  of 
the  ship  and  boats  every  morning,  and  report  their  condi- 


42  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

tion  to  me.     I  shall  make  this  inspection  with  you  every 
Sunday  morning. 

"  I  want  you  to  look  at  the  food  for  the  crew  every  day 
at  noon  and  see  that  it  is  satisfactory,  and  I  shall  do  so 
myself  from  time  to  time.  Saturday  afternoon  and  all 
Sunday  will  be  given  to  the  men;  and  at  sea  the  watch 
below  is  to  be  called  on  deck  only  in  very  urgent  cases. 
The  mates  are  not  to  go  aloft — I  want  them  to  feel  their 
distinction  as  officers.  Once  a  week  we  shall  have  Fire 
Quarters;  and  also  an  exercise  at  Man- overboard,  when 
the  crew  will  be  stationed  for  lowering  the  life-boat  and 
working  ship. 

"As  we  got  underway  at  San  Francisco,  I  saw  that 
many  of  the  men  were  not  handy  and  quick:  until  they 
get  to  know  the  ship  and  work  well  together,  we  shall  have 
a  sail  exercise  every  few  days,  for  half  an  hour,  after  the 
morning  inspection :  all  hands  must  be  on  deck,  and  I  will 
take  charge  and  conduct  the  exercise;  you  and  the  other 
mates  will  take  the  stations  already  assigned.  We  shall 
not  set  certain  days  for  particular  exercises,  but  suit  them 
to  the  weather  and  other  circumstances. 

"  This  is  all  I  have  to  say  now;  it  may  be  that  as  occasion 
arises,  I  shall  speak  further  on  ship  matters,  so  that  the 
good  understanding  between  us  may  continue." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  replied  the  Mate;  "I  shall  be  loyal 
and  do  all  I  can  to  make  your  command  a  success." 

The  Mate  saw  that  for  the  present,  at  least,  his  power 
was  put  out  of  sight;  but  he  hoped  it  was  only  in  abeyance, 
not  cut  off. 

Besides  the  blow  to  the  Mate's  usurped  authority, 
Colburn  incurred  more  of  Hawse's  ill-will  by  omitting  to 
have  set  days  for  specific  work.  The  Mate  ran  in  ruts: 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  43 

if  the  ship  were  plunging  and  the  sea  rolling  in  billows 
around  her  and  the  wind  a  close-reefed  gale — all,  so  that 
no  boat  could  be  lowered  and  live,  and  the  routine  called 
for  exercise  at  "  Man- overboard,"  he  would  have  it — that 
is,  he  would  have  the  semblance.  It  would  never  occur 
to  him  to  use  such  conditions  for  testing  the  handiness  of 
the  watch  in  reefing  topsails.  On  the  other  hand,  in  almost 
calm,  smooth  weather,  when,  with  little  delay,  a  life-boat 
could  be  dropped  and  quickly  hoisted  again  (to  ensure 
the  proper  working  of  everything),  the  Mate  would  fail 
to  profit  by  these  conditions;  but  would  have  an  exercise 
at  reefing  and  hoisting,  if  so  his  routine  specified.  Always 
habit  or  custom — never  a  thought  of  taking  advantage  of 
circumstances  to  do  with  ease  and  thoroughness  those 
things  that  under  other  conditions  could  be  done  only  with 
difficulty  and  without  profit. 

When  the  Captain  had  done  speaking,  the  Mate  left 
the  quarter  deck  and  sauntered  forward,  glancing  at  var- 
ious things  as  he  went  along;  finally,  he  reached  the  top- 
gallant forecastle  and  found  Sam  Ruggles  who  accosted 
him  with:  "Well,  Jake,  what's  up  now?  I  saw  the  old 
man  laying  down  the  law  to  you." 

"Yes,  he's  been  telling  me  how  to  be  nurse,  cook  and 
chamber  maid — to  look  out  for  you  all  and  see  that  you're 
washed,  dressed,  and  combed;  and  stood  up  in  a  line  to 
have  him  inspect  you.  I'm  to  taste  your  spoon  victuals 
every  day  and  see  the  broth's  hot  enough,  and  seasoned 
just  right.  Fine  business  for  the  Mate  of  a  clipper!" 

"And  damned  degrading  treatment  for  American 
sailors,"  added  Ruggles:  "doesn't  he  think  they've  got 
gumption  enough  to  wash,  and  put  on  a  clean  shirt  without 
his  telling  them  so  ?" 


44  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

A  group  of  men  was  near  enough  to  hear  these  remarks — 
more  gathered,  and  Hawse  said  with  a  sneer,  and  in  still 
louder  voice:  "And  the  Mates  must  be  gentlemen — 
they're  not  to  go  aloft,  but  keep  apart  from  Jack — officers 
only!"  Then  turning  round  and  feigning  surprise  at 
finding  the  men  there,  he  said:  "Get  out,  go  to  work, 
what  are  you  doing  here — listening  ?  That's  naughty  for 
good  little  boys  that  you  must  be  now."  And  his  look  and 
tone  gave  a  sarcastic  meaning  to  his  words,  whereat  the 
men,  instead  of  going  away,  drew  closer  and  questioned 
him  about  the  new  order  of  things ;  and  the  Mate  (who  was 
an  easy  talker)  was  at  no  loss  to  throw  ridicule  into  every 
turn  of  speech  in  recounting  what  the  Captain  had  said: 
the  matter  was  there  almost  word  for  word,  but  the  man- 
ner was  the  direct  opposite  of  what  would  command 
respect  for  the  subject. 

Of  the  passengers  of  the  Wenonah,  a  sketch  has  already 
been  given  of  Brooks  and  Doctor  Austin:  a  few  words 
will  now  be  said  of  the  others.  Mrs.  Austin  was  a  woman 
well  suited  to  make  a  home  happy  and  bring  up  children 
properly ;  they  would  be  sound  in  body,  cultivated  in  mind, 
refined  in  feelings,  of  true  moral  fibre,  and  of  kindly  dis- 
position— self  respecting  and  respecting  the  rights  and 
sensibilities  of  others;  and  these  qualities  would  be  but 
the  reflex  of  her  own  nature.  She  was  under  the  medium 
height  and  below  the  average  weight.  Of  late  years  she 
had  suffered  much  from  physical  ailments,  but  her  tempera- 
ment was  cheerful:  the  term  "ladylike"  would  fittingly 
apply  to  all  she  did. 

Her  daughter  Adeline  was  six  years  old — tall  for  her 
age,  lithe,  and  well  formed;  a  blonde  with  blue  eyes 
and  pleasing  features  that  habitually  wore  an  earnest 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CATLAP  45 

expression,  very  remarkable  for  one  so  young.  Her 
faculties  were  unusually  developed — alert,  quick,  and  pre- 
cise: altogether,  a  most  attractive  child,  full  of  winning 
ways.  Her  love  for  her  mother  was  unbounded,  and  its 
constant  exhibition  a  joy  to  see. 

The  governess,  Marguerite,  was  a  small,  pretty,  plump 
brunette — in  appearance  much  more  the  elder  sister  of 
her  little  charge  than  the  wise  guide  and  companion  to 
teach  her  French,  and  pleasing  manners. 

It  was  chiefly  for  the  health  and  diversion  of  his  family 
that  Doctor  Austin  undertook  this  voyage:  the  newness 
of  the  life;  the  buoyancy  of  spirit  infused  by  a  periodic 
storm;  the  element  of  danger  ever  present;  the  activity 
during  manoeuvres  of  the  ship;  the  novelty  of  the  men's 
ways  and  habits — all  these,  he  thought,  could  only  be 
beneficial  to  mind  and  body. 

As  to  the  time  of  the  voyage  of  the  Wenonah,  since  the 
incidents  are  imaginary,  they  may  be  applicable  to  any 
time — events  wholly  within  the  experience  of  any  vessel; 
and  indeed  the  incidents  are  used  chiefly  as  pegs  on  which 
to  hang  descriptions  of  the  working  of  the  head  and  heart 
amidst  the  particular  conditions  that  prevail  at  sea. 

The  period  covered  may  be  considered  to  be  any  time 
from  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  to  the  present  day:  the 
attempt  is  made  to  portray  phases  of  sea  life  that  are  general ; 
and  the  ship  is  supposed  to  leave  San  Francisco  in  winter 
and  reach  New  York  during  the  following  summer. 

During  the  week  in  San  Francisco  after  taking  command, 
Colburn  studied  the  wind  and  current  systems  between 
California  and  Peru,  so  that  he  could  trace  on  the  chart  a 
curve  along  which  the  most  speedy  passage  would  probably 
be  made. 


46  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

He  found  that  on  the  California  coast,  strong,  steady 
northwesterly  winds  prevail;  that  they  extend  in  a  wide 
belt  out  to  sea;  and  that  over  this  same  area  the  ocean 
currents  constantly  set  toward  the  Bay  of  Panama.  In 
this  latter  region,  there  is  a  large  triangle  of  chaotic 
atmospheric  conditions — light  winds  from  every  quarter 
in  quick  succession,  with  calms  and  occasional  heavy 
squalls  of  wind  and  rain.  In  a  general  way,  one  side  of 
this  triangle  is  formed  by  the  coast  of  Central  America, 
the  second  side  by  the  lower  limit  of  the  Northeast  Trades 
and  the  third  side  by  the  upper  limit  of  the  Southeast 
Trades. 

To  avoid  this  ocean  quagmire  should  be  the  endeavor 
of  every  seaman;  and  accordingly  Colburn  drew  his  curve 
to  pass  through  the  favorable  California  coast  winds  and 
currents  at  an  average  distance  of  two  hundred  miles 
from  shore;  then,  on  reaching  the  latitude  of  Cape  San 
Lucas,  the  curve  struck  across  the  western  corner  of  the 
great  triangle  of  calms  and  variables  to  cross  the  line  in 
about  longitude  one  hundred  and  fifteen  degrees  west; 
and  thence  it  swept  in  a  semicircle  through  the  Southeast 
Trades  toward  Callao:  but  in  this  part  of  the  curve,  he 
would  take  advantage  of  every  favorable  shift  of  wind  to 
edge  in  toward  his  port. 

On  passing  out  of  the  Golden  Gate,  he  shaped  a  course 
for  his  curve:  if  driven  off  it,  he  would  follow  a  parallel  one; 
if  baffled  by  adverse  winds,  it  would  only  be  what  some- 
times happens  to  the  most  prudent  man  in  any  walk  of 
life — failure,  after  taking  every  means  to  attain  success. 

On  taking  the  departure,  the  patent  log  was  recorded 
and  put  over. 

The  Captain  then  called  the  three  Mates  into  his  cabin, 


William  Colburn,  Captain  of  the  Wenonah 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  47 

showed  them  the  route  he  intended  taking,  and  gave  them 
directions  about  the  navigation  of  the  ship:  they  were  to 
carry  as  much  sail  as  the  safety  of  the  spars  would  allow, 
reducing  or  setting  it  at  discretion,  but  promptly  reporting 
all  such  changes  to  him;  at  the  end  of  every  watch  the 
patent  log  was  to  be  read,  and  the  log-chip  hove;  the 
average  direction  and  force  of  the  wind  for  the  watch  was 
to  be  estimated;  the  barometer  and  wet  and  dry  bulbs 
were  to  be  observed;  and  all  these,  with  the  sail  carried 
and  course  made  good,  together  with  remarks  on  the 
weather  and  affairs  on  board  were  to  be  carefully  recorded 
in  the  log-book. 

The  Captain  himself  would  take  all  observations  for 
determining  the  ship's  position;  he  would  also  work  out 
the  dead  reckoning  and  enter  these  items  in  the  log. 
He  offered  to  give  the  Mates  any  information  he  possessed 
relative  to  navigation,  and  in  order  to  keep  up  their 
familiarity  with  it,  he  recommended  that  the  one  who  had 
the  six  hours'  watch  day,  should  periodically  take  ob- 
servations of  different  kinds  and  work  them  out.  Thus 
he  placed  it  within  their  reach  to  know  what  they  wished 
about  the  management  of  the  ship — his  aim  was  to  have 
them  exercise  their  faculties  and  not  merely  carry  out 
orders. 

The  ship  had  now  been  at  sea  two  weeks,  and  things 
were  getting  shaken  down. 

Among  the  crew  there  were  men  who  had  served  in  the 
Navy:  the  sailor  is  a  nomad  of  the  sea  in  more  senses 
than  merely  traversing  it;  he  drifts  from  merchant  ship  to 
man-of-war,  from  one  navy  to  another;  and  the  flag  above 
him  often  means  only  so  much  food,  clothing,  and  money; 
he  changes  his  name  at  will,  and  thus  has  a  chameleon- 


48  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

like  facility  of  personality  and  nationality.  Those  men 
who  had  been  in  the  Navy  were  expert  with  the  needle, 
and  soon  put  their  own  uniforms  in  shape  and  helped 
others  to  do  the  same.  Accordingly,  the  Captain  an- 
nounced that  on  the  coming  Sunday  he  would  inspect  the 
ship  and  crew,  and  that  the  latter  should  be  in  uniform. 

Sunday  came:  at  nine  o'clock  the  Boatswain  piped 
"All  hands  to  muster";  and  they  were  drawn  up  on  the 
quarter  deck,  each  watch  toeing  a  seam  on  its  own  side, 
and  a  Mate  in  charge  at  the  head  of  the  line. 

The  morning  was  beautiful  and  warm,  and  the  ship 
was  under  all  sail — gliding  smoothly  through  the  water  at 
an  eight  knot  pace.  The  decks  were  white,  the  brass  work 
shining,  and  every  rope  neatly  coiled  down  clear  for 
running:  cleanliness  and  order  were  evident  everywhere. 

And  the  crew — what  a  contrast  their  stand-up  in  two 
blue  lines,  clean  shaven  and  close  cropped,  to  their  slovenly 
lolling  in  harlequin  garb  two  weeks  previously  on  the 
same  deck !  The  men  themselves  felt  the  change — it  gave 
them  a  sense  of  self-respect,  and  they  were  highly  pleased. 
The  officers,  too,  were  in  uniform  and  looked  exceedingly 
well.  Altogether,  it  was  an  organization  in  which  each 
felt  pride. 

The  Captain  invited  the  passengers  to  take  a  look  at 
the  ship  with  him,  while  the  crew  remained  on  the  quarter 
deck:  they  gladly  accepted,  and  as  they  saw  each  new 
evidence  of  care  and  firm  control,  their  admiration  found 
vent  in  hearty  expressions ;  Brooks  in  particular  was  elated 
— he  whispered  to  the  Doctor,  "  Why  this  takes  me  back 
to  a  Sunday  on  the  Flagship  Minnetonka;  all  we  lack  here 
are  numbers,  more  brilliance  of  uniform,  and  the  band 
playing."  He  had  a  lingering  regret  that  he  did  not 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  49 

remain  in  the  merchant  service  to  have  such  a  command 
as  this. 

The  various  routine  exercises  had  been  going  on  since 
leaving  port,  so  that  the  men  were  now  fairly  quick  at  them. 

The  day  following  this  first  inspection  being  still  fine, 
with  a  smooth  sea,  the  passengers  assembled  on  the  poop 
to  enjoy  the  beautiful  weather.  The  ship  was  making 
seven  knots  with  the  wind  on  the  port  quarter.  The 
Captain  came  on  the  poop,  held  a  few  moments'  conversa- 
tion with  the  passengers,  and  then  going  to  the  taffrail, 
called  a  seaman  and  spoke  to  him  as  if  pointing  out  some- 
thing to  be  done  at  the  ship's  side.  The  man  started  to 
go  down  on  deck,  but  at  the  break  of  the  poop,  stopped, 
and  shouted  in  a  loud  voice, 

"  Man  overboard !" 

and  a  heavy  splash  was  heard  at  the  same  time  in  the 
water.     The  Mate  on  watch  instantly  ordered, 

"Hard  down!     Man  the  starboard  life-boat!" 

The  men  rushed  aft — four  with  a  coxswain  jumped 
into  the  boat — the  ship  came  quickly  to  the  wind — but 
before  she  got  aback,  the  boat  was  dropped  and  pulling 
for  the  buoy  that  had  been  thrown  overboard. 

The  anxious,  pale  faces  of  the  passengers  were  still 
peering  for  the  unfortunate  in  the  water,  when  the  Captain 
said,  "  'Tis  only  an  exercise."  But  the  reality  could  not 
have  been  more  startling — for  a  moment  it  had  all  the 
anxiety  of  an  actual  case.  Little  Adeline  cried  at  the 
commotion,  and  her  mother  and  Marguerite — both 
scarcely  less  excited  than  the  child — could  only  with 
difficulty  soothe  her  nervous  sobbing.  The  Captain 
promised  to  tell  them  the  next  time  and  spare  their  feelings. 

Brooks  told  the  Doctor  that  the  manoeuvre  was  perfect — 


50  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  self-possession  of  the  Mate  of  the  watch  and  the  readi- 
ness of  the  crew  could  not  be  surpassed. 

The  boat  returned  and  was  hoisted,  and  the  ship  filled 
away  on  her  course,  the  yards  having  been  braced  hove-to 
with  the  main  top-sail  to  the  mast  while  the  boat  was 
absent. 

Man  overboard!  It  is  a  cry  that  awakens  terror  and 
sympathy  on  a  ship's  deck  as  the  loss  of  life  does  in  no 
other  community.  It  impels  men  to  risk  their  lives  as 
nowhere  else.  Let  it  be  uttered  in  the  darkness  of  night, 
midst  a  raging  storm,  with  certain  death  to  the  rescuer — 
it  matters  not;  there  will  be  those  to  hazard  an  attempt — 
they  think  but  of  the  drowning  shipmate  and  every  im- 
pulse is  to  save  him. 

A  few  days  later,  in  order  that  they  should  not  be 
alarmed,  the  Captain  informed  the  passengers  that  he 
was  going  to  have  fire  drill;  but  requested  them  not  to  let 
the  officers  and  crew  know  it. 

The  ship  was  close-hauled  on  the  port  tack,  with  a  stiff 
breeze  and  lumpy  sea.  Doctor  Austin  and  his  family  with 
Brooks  were  on  the  poop ;  the  watch  on  deck  were  at  various 
kinds  of  work — it  was  just  after  the  morning  inspection, 
and  the  watch  below  were  settling  for  a  sleep,  or  a  game 
of  dominoes  or  checkers,  or  some  other  amusement. 

The  Captain  came  up,  looked  at  the  compass,  then  at 
the  sails,  and  began  asking  the  Mate  on  watch  some  ques- 
tions about  the  speed  and  run.  The  steward  came  out  of 
the  pantry  and  went  toward  the  galley  with  some  provisions 
for  the  cook:  suddenly,  he  stopped,  set  his  load  near  a 
hatch,  jumped  to  the  ship's  bell  and  rang  it  violently, 
shouting  at  the  same  time, 

"Fire  in  the  forecastle!" 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  51 

Instantly,  all  was  activity:  the  Mate  ordered  the  helm  up, 
and  the  ship  paid  off  before  the  wind — men  reeled  off  hose 
and  coupled  it — others  shipped  brakes  and  manned  the 
pumps — still  more  covered  hatches — the  carpenter  stood 
by  with  his  axe  to  cut  away  obstructions — gangs  w^ere 
hauling  up  the  courses — and  in  an  incredibly  short  time 
three  streams  were  playing  over  the  rail  forward,  the  fire 
being  imaginary. 

Then,  in  order  to  lose  no  time,  the  ship  was  brought 
to  the  wind  again,  and  the  yards  trimmed;  but  otherwise 
the  sequel  of  a  fire  proving  too  strong  for  control  and 
destroying  the  ship,  was  carried  out  by  a  simulated 
abandonment. 

The  Boatswain  piped,  "All  hands  abandon  ship!" 
Men  got  the  four  boats  ready  for  lowering — clearing  their 
falls,  and  examining  sails,  masts,  and  oars;  others  went  for 
provisions  and  water  for  each  boat;  more  provided  com- 
passes and  nautical  instruments;  still  more,  boxes  con- 
taining hammers,  saws,  axes,  spun  yarn,  oil,  lanterns, 
candles,  rockets,  and  matches;  and  finally,  the  passengers, 
crew  and  officers  assembled  abreast  each  boat  according 
to  an  assignment  previously  made.  All  was  done  in  an 
orderly,  quick,  and  thorough  manner,  which  inspired  the 
passengers  with  a  feeling  of  security  against  loss  of  life  in 
case  of  actual  disaster. 

Then  the  Boatswain  piped,  "  Belay!"  and  everything  was 
returned  to  its  proper  place.  The  watch  on  deck  resumed 
their  work,  the  watch  below  sought  their  games  or  naps, 
and  the  ship  sped  smoothly  on — under  good  discipline, 
watched  with  care,  and  everybody  on  board  apparently 
content  and  happy. 

The  Trade  Winds  cover  a  large  expanse  of  ocean  with 


52  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

steady,  uniform  breezes;  but  toward  their  edges  become 
frayed  out  into  a  fringe  of  variable  airs,  calms,  strong  puffs, 
and  heavy  squalls.  The  Wenonah  was  now  in  such  a 
region — the  equatorial  limit  of  the  Southeast  Trades;  and 
the  Captain  decided  to  profit  by  the  irregularity  of  weather 
(which  prevented  him  making  much  on  his  course)  to 
have  a  thorough  sail  exercise — a  last  touch  to  the  handiness 
of  the  men  in  working  together. 

Accordingly,  one  morning,  when  conditions  specially 
favored  the  manoeuvre,  he  told  the  First  Mate  to  have  the 
Boatswain  pipe, 

"All  hands  tack  ship!" 

The  vessel  was  close-hauled  on  the  port  tack,  with  the 
breeze  fresh  from  the  South.  The  Captain  went  on  the 
poop  and  took  the  trumpet,  the  First  Mate  took  charge 
forward,  the  Second  Mate  at  the  main,  and  the  Third 
Mate  at  the  mizzen ;  the  crew  went  to  their  stations  for  the 
evolution. 

"Keep  her  a  good  full  for  stays!"  and  the  helmsman 
gave  a  few  spokes  of  wheel  to  fill  the  sails  well.  Some 
moments  elapsed  and  every  man,  rope  in  hand,  was  eager 
for  the  word  to  perform  his  part. 

"Ease  down  the  helm!"  and  as  the  wheel  was  turned 
over,  spoke  by  spoke,  the  ship  came  rapidly  to  the  wind. 
The  head  sails  began  to  shake,  and  the  weather  leeches  of 
the  square  sails  to  lift. 

"Helm's  a  lee!" — the  clews  of  the  courses  were  wrench- 
ing for  freedom,  when  the  next  order, 

"Rise  tacks  and  sheets!"  released  them  and  the  men  on 
the  clew  garnets  ran  the  clews  well  up.  Meanwhile,  the 
spanker  was  gradually  hauled  over  to  port,  to  force  the 
bow  into  the  wind. 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  53 

"Let  go  and  overhaul  the  weather  lifts!"  and  the  wind- 
ward support  of  the  yards  was  relieved,  preparatory  to 
swinging  the  main. 

The  ship  had  come  almost  to  a  standstill — the  wind 
whistled  strong  and  loud  through  the  rigging — the  sails 
flapped  violently — ropes  and  blocks  thrashed  about — 
commotion  and  confusion  were  rife — and  the  passengers 
on  the  poop  seemed  apprehensive  of  some  calamity: 
Brooks  looked  eagerly  on — every  fibre  tingling — every 
feeling  elated,  to  see  the  manoeuvre  succeed.  It  seemed 
about  to  fail,  however — the  ship  was  going  in  irons,  or 
falling  off  again — when  suddenly  the  Captain  ordered, 

"Head  down  hauls!  Cro'jack  braces!"  and  the  jibs 
and  staysail  were  hauled  down,  and  the  yards  on  the 
mizzen  braced  around — sharp  aback:  it  was  the  straw 
lifted  from  the  camel's  load — removing  the  small  obstruc- 
tion at  the  bow  and  giving  the  necessary  impulse  at  the 
stern,  to  her  coming  fully  into  the  wind ;  both  were  done  at 
the  critical  moment — everything  was  soon  flat  aback — the 
helm  was  shifted  for  sternboard — and  then  came  the  order, 
"Mainsail  haul!"  when  the  yards  swung  quickly  round, 
ropes  ran  wildly  through  their  blocks,  and  the  men 
jumped  with  alacrity  to  trim  everything  sharp  up  on  the 
starboard  tack.  The  sails  on  the  main  were  now  full, 
while  those  on  the  fore,  still  aback,  with  the  head  sails 
(which  had  been  rehoisted)  were  paying  her  head  rapidly 
to  port. 

Excitement  ran  high  both  on  deck  and  among  the  pas- 
sengers :  even  to  the  latter,  things  seemed  to  be  going  well, 
and  their  exhilaration  found  vent  in  many  exclamations 
of  joy. 

"Head  braces!" — they  were  quickly  manned. 


54  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"Let  go  and  haul!"  and  the  head  yards  swung  round 
and  were  belayed.  The  helm  had  been  righted;  tacks, 
sheets,  and  braces  were  now  bowsed  taut,  and  the  bowlines 
hauled. 

The  Captain  ordered  the 'Boatswain  to  pipe  down;  and 
the  ship  was  now  close  hauled  on  the  starboard  tack:  it 
had  not  taken  twenty  minutes  to  get  her  there  from  giving 
the  first  order.  It  was  a  good  breeze  and  the  men  worked 
with  a  will  and  skill  that  drew  from  Brooks  the  exclama- 
tion, "  Excellent !  I  never  saw  it  better  done  on  the  sloop- 
of-war  Minnetonka,  and  she  was  a  smart  ship." 

Soon  the  wind  began  hauling  to  the  eastward — an 
indication  of  the  first  breath  of  the  steady  Trades:  the 
Captain  told  the  Mate  to  wear  ship,  and  ere  long  she  was 
again  on  the  port  tack,  which  she  held  for  many  a  day  on 
her  long  stretch  toward  Callao. 

Days  and  days  passed  now  under  the  soft,  velvety 
touch  of  the  Southeast  Trades:  the  sun  shone  genial  and 
warm;  light,  fleecy  clouds  sometimes  flecked  the  sky;  the 
nights  were  balmy  and  fresh;  the  stars  sparkled  like 
brilliants  in  the  humid  atmosphere;  and  the  sea  had  only 
such  moderate  motion  as  befitted  the  uniformity  of  the 
wind.  It  veered  and  hauled  a  few  points,  and  rose  and 
fell — generally  increasing  from  sunrise  until  afternoon,  and 
then  slowly  subsiding;  during  the  night  it  retained  only  a 
part  of  its  strength  during  the  day,  thus  showing  its 
dependence  on  the  sun. 

The  ship  moved  dreamily  on,  merely  following  the 
changes  of  wind  without  tacking  or  wearing;  only  now 
and  then  a  brace  was  hauled  taut,  or  a  pull  got  on  the  gear 
of  sails  that  remained  forever  set:  all  was  ease,  quiet,  and 
comfort.  But  such  placidity  is  not  good  for  ship  life: 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  55 

the  community  is  small  and  shut  up  within  narrow  limits; 
they  meet  at  the  same  board,  their  occupations  are  carried 
on  jointly,  and  even  their  amusements  are  in  common; 
no  new  faces,  no  variety,  no  change — one  day  follows 
another,  and  only  the  date  varies. 

When  the  wind  raged,  and  the  sea  rose,  and  the  sails 
were  reefed,  and  the  ship  scudded  before  the  storm,  there 
was  something  serious  to  occupy  the  crew — they  had  no 
time  for  growling:  but  in  the  lulling  Trade- winds,  with 
Sail  Exercise,  Fire-quarters,  Man-overboard,  and  other 
routine  drills  reduced  to  almost  mechanical  precision, 
there  was  ample  time  for  tongues  to  turn  upon  the  man  in 
command  and  criticize  his  acts  and  find  a  grievance  in 
every  move.  A  sea  voyage  affords  a  fine  opportunity  for 
the  petty  fault-finder;  and  just  at  this  juncture  there  was 
a  prolific  source  of  discontent  on  board:  the  men  had  to 
draw  white  shirts  and  trousers  from  the  ship's  stores  and 
alter  them  to  fit  their  own  figures;  and  the  venomous  ser- 
pent was  at  hand  to  incite  them  to  revolt — Sam  Ruggles 
was  there  to  tell  them  they  were  free  Americans  (albeit 
some  scarcely  spoke  the  English  language) ;  that  merchant 
sailors  wore  no  man's  livery;  that  there  was  nothing  in  the 
shipping  articles  to  warrant  their  toeing  a  seam  every 
morning  to  have  another  man — no  better  than  themselves — 
see  that  they  washed  their  faces  and  combed  their  hair, 
like  school  boys.  Hawse  came  along  and  remarked  to 
Ruggles  in  a  stage  whisper:  "I  wonder  how  much  com- 
mish  the  old  man  gets  on  these  white  clothes  ?"  and  the 
group  working  on  the  garments  had  another  thought — 
that  of  being  swindled — added  to  the  feeling  of  imposition 
already  agitating  them  at  having  to  get  the  clothes  at  all. 

Up  to  the  time  of  entering  the  Trades,  and  while  there 


56  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

was  much  to  be  done  by  the  Captain  to  impress  his  methods 
on  the  ship's  company,  he  had  exercised  a  close  supervision; 
but  always  through  the  First  Mate :  he  himself  had  held  as 
much  aloof  from  direct  intercourse  with  the  men  as  the 
autocrat  of  the  quarter  deck  does  on  a  ship-of-war.  But 
having  devised  the  mechanism,  set  it  running,  and  oiled  the 
parts,  he  thought  no  friction  could  arise  to  require  such 
close  scrutiny  as  he  had  previously  given — that,  now  they 
were  enjoying  equability  of  wind  and  wave,  he  could  with- 
draw somewhat  from  overlooking  details:  accordingly,  he 
left  the  management  of  affairs  much  to  his  subordinate. 

Hawse  thus  seeing  himself  established  between  the 
source  of  power  and  those  subject  to  it,  began  fortifying  his 
position,  so  that  he  should  both  seem,  and  really  be,  the 
commanding  officer:  he  was  determined  to  grasp  for  the 
independent  action  he  had  under  Rowley.  And  the  men 
were  in  a  fit  state  for  this  sower  of  tares;  the  novelty  of 
the  uniform  and  of  the  drills  had  worn  off,  and  the  latter 
were  now  only  tiresome  daily  grinds:  the  sailor  is  a  colt 
that  rears  at  bit  and  saddle;  his  roving  existence  is  but  the 
craving  for  unbridled  action;  like  the  Indian  that  is 
domesticated,  he  longs  for  the  vagabond  life — the  blanket, 
the  buckskin  leggins,  the  gun,  and  the  free  tread  through 
the  depths  of  the  forest. 

Hawse  was  quick  to  perceive  his  opportunity:  he  would 
humor  the  men — make  the  inspection  a  farce — allow  them 
to  wear  what  they  pleased — and  grant  on  the  spot  their 
requests,  so  as  to  show  them  he  was  master;  at  the  same 
time  he  would  foster  their  antagonism  to  the  Captain  by 
many  ways  in  which  he  was  an  adept. 

And  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  advantage  of  personal- 
ity for  dealing  with  the  men  lay  with  Hawse :  he  was  more 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  57 

imbued  with  their  spirit,  habits,  feelings,  and  sympathies, 
than  Colburn;  he  had  an  adaptability  of  action  toward 
human  weakness,  customs,  and  prejudices  that  Colburn 
had  not.  Colburn  looked  at  the  absolute  right — the  legal 
requirement — the  proper  course — of  any  procedure;  and 
endeavored  to  conform  his  action  to  it  as  circumstances 
would  reasonably  allow:  Hawse,  on  the  other  hand, 
looked  at  every  matter  from  the  utilitarian  stand-point, 
with,  however,  a  keen  eye,  primarily,  to  any  advantage 
he  could  get  out  of  it  for  himself.  Hawse  was  practical 
and  politic:  Colburn,  a  little  of  an  idealist — a  stickler  for 
the  fitness  of  things,  tempered,  however,  with  good, 
practical  qualities.  Both  knew  their  profession,  but 
Hawse  was  by  nature  the  better  seaman ;  he  was,  however,  a 
moral  degenerate — absolutely  devoid  of  principle.  Col- 
burn's  impulses  were  toward  the  right,  and  though,  like 
everybody,  he  did  wrong  at  times,  still  it  was  never  pre- 
meditated, as  was  most  likely  to  be  the  case  with  the  First 
Mate.  Hawse  could  be  companionable  with  the  men;  he 
spoke  oracularly  on  things  of  the  sea,  which  pleased  them : 
he  was  popular.  Colburn  was  taciturn  and  did  not 
attract. 

Soon  after  the  Captain  began  to  absent  himself  from  the 
morning  inspection,  Hawse  called  up  the  mates  and  said, 
"  The  men  keep  pretty  straight  now,  do  you  think  they  need 
such  close  watching?"  and  the  wink  that  followed,  con- 
veyed that  the  question  was  less  of  a  query  than  an  order. 

Accordingly,  the  next  day,  only  the  front  of  the  line  was 
inspected — the  back  might  be  down  at  heel  and  out  at 
elbow,  but  neither  was  examined.  A  few  days  later,  the 
inspection  was  reduced  to  a  hasty  walk  along  the  line, 
scarcely  looking  at  it — correcting  nothing — finding  fault 


58  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

with  nothing:  finally,  it  came  to  omitting  even  this  sem- 
blance— the  mate  simply  stood  in  front  of  the  lounging 
group  that  did  not  even  toe  a  seam — nodded  to  them, 
and  said,  "That  will  do,  boys — go  forward." 

The  natural  result  soon  followed :  frowzy  heads  began  to 
appear,  and  faces  that  looked  dirty  from  sprouting  stubble. 
The  Captain  called  Hawse's  attention  to  the  neglect,  but 
was  met  with  a  ready  excuse — the  men  were  thoughtless — 
he  had  to  nag  them  constantly  to  keep  them  up  to  the  mark : 
but  he  found  it  politic  to  have  them  shaved  and  cropped. 
A  few  days  passed,  and  slouchy,  dirty  clothes  were  seen; 
Colburn  told  the  Mate,  and  again  the  excuse — those  men 
had  been  doing  dirty  work  and  hadn't  time  to  shift:  but 
they  got  into  clean  clothes,  nevertheless.  Next,  a  pair  of 
heavy  cowhide  boots  came  from  their  hole  and  shuffled 
along  the  deck,  one  trouser  leg  tucked  in,  the  other  hanging 
over  the  boot.  The  Captain  ordered  them  off  and  stowed 
away,  and  again  the  Mate  made  the  plea  that  the  man  put 
them  on  while  washing  decks  and  forgot  to  take  them  off. 
Heavy  boots  to  wash  decks  in  the  Tropics !  The  absurdity 
of  the  excuse  did  not  strike  him.  The  real  reason — that  the 
man  wanted  to  indulge  his  wayward  spirit — kick  over  the 
traces,  even  to  his  discomfort — would  be  incredible  any- 
where but  on  board  ship. 

Days  passed,  and  with  them  successive  lapses  in  dress 
and  discipline :  a  battered  derby  came  to  light  and  replaced 
a  uniform  cap;  a  red  shirt  occasionally  flashed  forth  or  a 
striped  one  with  a  bob-tail  jacket,  which  brought  to  mind 
the  harlequin  aspect  of  the  first  quarter-deck  muster  in 
San  Francisco. 

At  every  new  symptom  of  decline,  Hawse  was  ready  with 
an  answer  for  the  Captain's  fault-finding:  the  men  were 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  59 

mending  their  uniform;  or,  in  the  Tropics,  they  couldn't 
be  kept  up  to  the  notch  they  had  been  in  cooler  weather; 
or,  the  Captain  had  said  they  could  wear  out  their  old 
clothes  brought  from  shore;  or,  or,  or,  etc.,  ad  nauseam — 
all  frivolous  and  beside  the  question.  Each  time,  however, 
there  was  a  sprucing  up  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  a 
relapse  into  greater  neglect  and  disorder  than  before. 

All  these  trifling  infractions  exasperated  Colburn  beyond 
their  intrinsic  importance;  to  him,  their  persistent  recur- 
rence indicated  the  trend:  like  the  woolen  garment  that  is 
moth-eaten  in  every  thread  and  needs  only  a  shake  to  have 
it  crumble  into  dust — so  the  discipline  and  efficiency  were 
being  sapped  by  this  gnawing  canker  of  petty  disobedience. 

And  it  was  not  in  dress  and  personal  appearance  alone 
that  the  Captain  saw  a  change;  the  men  were  no  longer 
respectful  in  demeanor  when  he  passed,  neither  did  they 
move  as  quickly  at  work,  and  the  drills  and  exercises 
dragged — evidently  the  poison  was  working  everywhere. 

The  Captain  was  studying  the  situation.  It  is  not 
always  necessary  to  be  an  eye  witness  of  an  act,  to  be 
satisfied  that  it  occurred:  circumstantial  evidence  is  often 
the  most  convincing;  and  so  Colburn  pondered  and  made 
his  deductions  from  passing  events,  determined  to  do 
nothing  until  sure  of  the  course  he  should  take. 

In  another  direction  the  Mate  ingratiated  himself  with 
the  men  by  an  occasional  gift  of  a  plug  of  tobacco  or  a  few 
cans  of  condensed  milk  from  his  grocery  store,  recouping 
himself  afterward  by  the  next  article  he  sold. 

In  order  to  impress  the  men  that  his  was  the  all-watching 
eye,  he  used  to  say  in  a  very  official  voice  to  the  Mate  that 
relieved  him  at  the  end  of  the  second  dog-watch,  "  Let  me 
know  if  the  ship  is  headed  off  much  during  the  night — 


60  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

enough  to  need  tacking;  and  call  me  in  case  of  foul, 
threatening  weather." 

These  behests  were  such  as  only  the  Captain  should 
make,  and  being  overheard  (as  was  intended)  by  the  man 
at  the  wheel,  they  soon  found  their  way  to  the  forecastle. 

Brooks  with  his  early  experience  of  ship  life,  and  the 
keen  scent  for  man's  duplicity  and  craft  (acquired  as  a 
newspaper  reporter),  quickly  saw  what  was  going  on; 
moreover,  he  had,  what  the  Captain  did  not — ocular 
evidence  of  its  source. 

The  passengers  roamed  at  will  over  the  ship  and  mingled 
freely  with  the  men  forward:  the  sailors'  quaint,  direct 
ways  of  saying  things,  their  highly  colored  tales  of  the  sea; 
their  simple  games ;  and  (in  the  main)  their  guileless  actions 
— all  amused  and  interested  Doctor  Austin  and  his  family : 
little  Adeline  was  seldom  happier  than  with  them;  they 
loved  her  and  never  wearied  of  devising  novel  pranks  and 
frolics  to  astonish  her.  There  were  Spaniards,  French- 
men and  Italians  in  the  crew,  and  each  took  pleasure  in 
teaching  her  a  few  words  of  their  own  patois,  merely  to  hear 
the  earnest,  pretty  way  she  would  repeat  them : 

"  Buon  giorno,  como  sta  angelita  ?" 

"  Que  tal,  cara  mia  ?" 

"  Mon  enfant,  je  te  salue!"  all  these  greeted  her  appear- 
ance, when  she  would  courtesy,  and  answer  with  sprightly 
mien,  "Messieurs,  je  vous  remercie;  me  alegro  mucho  de 
verlos;  state  tutti  bene?"  and  the  ring  of  laughter  that 
would  rise  from  assembled  Jack  was  a  joy  to  hear. 

It  was  thus,  in  loitering  about  the  decks,  that  Brooks 
and  the  Doctor,  without  intending  to  play  the  eavesdropper, 
heard  many  a  word  and  saw  many  a  move  between  the 
men  and  officers,  especially  between  Hawse  and  Ruggles, 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  61 

that  indicated  some  common  interest  actuating  them 
against  the  Captain.  They  could  see  the  pooling  of  the 
issues,  but  not  their  raison  d'etre.  At  first,  they  thought 
to  apprise  Colburn  of  what  they  suspected  and  knew,  but 
on  further  reflection  decided  to  wait  and  watch  the  scheme 
develop. 

That  individuality  characterizes  animated  nature  is 
evident  to  all :  each  living  thing  has  traits  that  distinguish 
it  from  others  of  its  kind ;  but  that  there  is  also  an  individ- 
uality among  inanimate  things  is  not  so  apparent;  and  yet 
it  is  true. 

The  woman  who  runs  a  sewing  machine  finds  some  small 
differences  between  even  those  from  the  same  maker:  she 
prefers  the  one  she  is  accustomed  to — she  knows  its  antics 
and  can  manage  them ;  she  would  have  to  learn  those  of  a 
new  one.  So,  with  the  man  who  has  a  stock  of  razors  from 
which  to  choose  for  his  morning's  use:  through  long  ac- 
quaintance, he  knows  the  keenest  and  smoothest;  the  one 
which  retains  its  edge  best;  and  the  one  whose  edge  turns 
and  grits  like  a  fine  saw:  in  a  word,  he  knows  the  temper 
and  temperament  of  each. 

And  so  with  ships,  only  in  a  greater  degree  because  of 
their  complicated  structure,  which  introduces  many  sources 
of  variability  even  when  built  on  the  same  model. 

It  is  well  known  that  every  seaman,  however  capable,  has 
something  to  learn  of  the  qualities  of  a  ship  he  goes  aboard 
of  for  the  first  time:  her  best  point  of  sailing;  her  capacity 
for  beating  and  for  tacking;  whether  she  rolls  easily  and 
without  danger  to  her  spars,  or  quickly,  and  is  liable  to 
snap  them  off  in  a  heavy  beam  sea;  what  sail  she  will  best 
lie-to  under — in  fact,  her  faults  and  caprices  of  every  kind. 
These  he  can  iearn  only  by  working  her  in  varied  conditions 


62  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

of  wind  and  sea.  And  a  man  with  this  experience  has  a 
great  advantage  over  him  who  has  it  not,  when  both  are 
officers  of  the  same  ship;  if  the  former  be  the  chief  officer 
and  the  latter  her  commander,  the  situation  is  most  un- 
fortunate— and  this  was  the  relation  Hawse  bore  to  Col- 
burn.  Hawse  had  been  on  the  Wenonah  many  years — 
he  knew  her  in  every  part  and  in  every  movement ;  he  knew 
when  she  would  tack  and  when  he  must  wear — indeed 
what  she  would  do  under  any  given  circumstances:  thus 
he  had  the  whip  hand  and  was  disposed  to  use  it  rather 
arrogantly.  He  was  constantly  magnifying  trifles  to  worry 
the  Captain — raising  obstacles  to  momentous  size,  only 
to  level  them  himself,  and  thus  impress  others  with  his 
skill.  If  there  was  one  quality  predominant  in  his  char- 
acter, it  was  simulation — he  was  a  balloon  of  pretence; 
and  for  this  there  was  neither  need  nor  excuse:  he  was 
really  capable,  but  his  natural  abilities  were  wholly 
unequal  to  the  personage  he  wanted  to  appear — he  was 
an  insufferable  braggart. 

Previously  to  the  present  stage  of  our  narrative,  Hawse 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  consulting  the  Captain  about  ship 
matters — things  whose  importance  determined  whether 
they  should  be  done  by  the  Mate  at  his  own  discretion,  or 
referred  to  the  Captain  for  decision. 

If  the  Mate  be  loyal,  zealous,  and  sensible,  the  more 
such  things  are  left  to  him,  the  better:  it  stimulates  his 
interest  and  care,  and  relieves  the  Captain  of  little  annoy- 
ances— free  to  perform  broader  duties.  This  was  the 
principle  Colburn  acted  on;  but  when  the  irregularities 
in  uniform  and  personal  appearance  of  the  crew  came 
crowding  into  view,  he  found  also  that  many  things  which 
should  have  been  referred  to  him  in  any  case,  had  been 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  63 

attended  to  by  Hawse  without  even  reporting  his  action. 
Thus,  one  day  when  they  were  to  have  a  drill  at "  Man  over- 
board," he  found  all  the  boats  stripped  of  every  equipment 
— masts,  sails,  oars,  boat  hooks,  breakers  (all  stowed  away 
where  they  could  not  be  got  quickly),  and  the  boats  them- 
selves wet  with  fresh  paint.  He  told  Hawse  of  the  im- 
prudence of  such  action — that  an  emergency  might  arise, 
and  that  one  boat  should  always  be  ready  for  use.  The 
Mate  met  the  rebuff  with  a  contemptuous  look,  as  if  to  say : 
"  O  you  are  entirely  too  prudent." 

On  another  occasion  the  Captain  heard  much  hammer- 
ing— a  carpenter  busy  at  work;  and  going  forward,  he  found 
him  beginning  the  construction  of  a  light  bridge  from  the 
top  of  the  galley  (where  there  was  a  small  chart  house) 
to  each  side  of  the  ship.  He  sent  for  the  Mate,  and  said, 

"  I  don't  remember  your  asking  me  to  do  this." 

"No,  but  I  thought  you  would  like  it;  it  will  be  con- 
venient going  in  and  out  of  port." 

"  Well,  whenever  you  think  of  doing  any  other  work  of 
this  size,  let  me  know  before  you  begin  it — I  may  not  want 
it  done  at  all." 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  ask  permission  to  do  everything 
about  the  ship?" 

"No,  not  everything;  but  certainly  things  of  this  im- 
portance." 

"Very  well,  sir":  and  the  Mate's  impatience  was  evident 
in  his  manner. 

Still  another  time,  the  Captain  heard  the  rat,  tat,  tat, 
of  short  sharp  clicks  of  iron  upon  iron :  he  went  to  ascertain 
its  cause,  and  found  the  whole  ship's  company  with  belay- 
ing pins  beating  the  anchor  chains,  which  had  been  hauled 
up  on  deck  for  cleaning. 


64       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"  Mr.  Hawse,  why  have  you  all  hands  at  this  ?  I  told 
you  the  watch  below  was  to  be  called  up  only  in  very  urgent 
cases." 

"  This  work  belongs  to  all  hands  and  I  want  it  done 
quick — one  watch  would  take  too  long." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  won't  weaken  your  authority  by  sending  the 
watch  below  now;  but  never  repeat  this  action." 

"Very  well,  sir,"  replied  the  Mate  with  a  scowl. 

The  Captain  came  on  the  poop  one  afternoon  when  the 
breeze  was  fresh,  and  found  the  topsail  sheets  running  a 
fathom  slack  with  every  lurch  of  the  ship,  the  yards  in  great 
need  of  trimming,  and  the  Second  Mate  (who  had  the 
watch)  in  jolly  converse  with  the  man  at  the  wheel:  the 
Captain,  in  consequence,  had  to  brace  the  Mate  up  rather 
sharply  for  his  oft-repeated  instance  of  general  laxity; 
and  of  course  the  Mate  added  a  new  grievance  to  his  stock 
against  the  Captain. 

Again,  he  found  the  ship  headed  off  so  much,  by  the 
wind  veering,  that  she  would  approach  the  port  more  by 
going  round  on  the  other  tack :  the  sneaky  Snively  was  on 
watch,  and  the  Captain  asked  with  much  severity, 

"  How  long  has  she  been  headed  off  like  this  ?" 

"Two  hours,  sir." 

"  Why  didn't  you  report  it  ?" 

"I  did,  sir — to  Mr.  Hawse;  and  he  told  me  to  keep  her 
so,  and  he  would  let  me  know  when  to  tack." 

"  Tack  ship  immediately;  and  understand  once  for  all 
that  I  command  here — not  Mr.  Hawse." 

"Yes,  sir;  but  he  told  me  always  to  let  him  know  about 
changes  of  wind  and  sail,  and  everything  else  on  the  ship"; 
whined  the  treacherous  Snively,  anxious  to  clear  himself  of 
blame. 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  65 

"You  heard  my  order — obey  it." 

"Yes  sir,  I  will";  said  the  Snively  thoroughly  frightened. 

And  so  it  was  from  day  to  day,  one  thing  after  another — 
always  butting  against  the  Captain's  well  known  views. 
The  spirit  of  insubordination  was  rife,  imperilling  the 
organization  and  working  its  downfall — just  as  the  ship 
worm  bores  the  piles  of  a  wharf  through  and  through,  until 
at  last  a  vessel  strikes  them  and  they  fall  to  pieces:  and 
Jacob  Hawse  was  the  human  teredo  that  bored  into  the 
brain  of  every  member  of  the  ship's  company  and  left  his 
corroding  poison  there. 

The  Mate  seeing  that  his  scheme  was  succeeding,  grew 
bolder — ignored  the  Captain's  orders  more  frequently, 
and  followed  his  own  way  oftener:  his  course  was  as  close 
to  actual  disobedience  as  he  could  steer  without  committing 
the  overt  act;  he  was  far  too  crafty,  however,  to  stumble 
into  that  pitfall.  Even  more,  there  was  often  a  thin  veneer 
of  deference  in  his  manner  toward  the  Captain,  but  always 
streaked  with  impatience  and  self-will. 

Col  burn  fully  realized  the  seriousness  of  an  open  break 
with  Hawse:  the  Mate  was  vicious  and  determined,  and  in 
a  position  to  make  the  ship  a  cauldron  of  discontent; 
Colburn  therefore  used  every  means  consistent  with  self 
respect  and  his  own  authority  to  mollify  him ;  but 

"  Thou  mayst  hold  a  serpent  by  the  tongue, 
A  chafed  lion  by  the  mortal  paw, 
A  fasting  tiger  safer  by  the  tooth, 
Than  keep  in  peace  that  hand  which"  on  revenge  is  bent. 

During  the  early  days  of  the  passage  (ere  he  had  come 
to  know  Hawse  well)  the  Captain  was  in  the  habit  of  ask- 
ing his  opinion  about  many  things  on  the  ship,  as  he 


66  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

considered  him  a  sensible  man ;  but  gradually  he  gave  this 
up,  as  he  judged  that  Hawse  attributed  such  action  to  a 
motive  other  than  the  real  one — the  desire  in  every  human 
breast  to  know  another's  point  of  view  regarding  a  new 
situation,  especially  when  that  other  is  familiar  with  its 
conditions. 

In  every  human  breast?  Not  quite.  There  is  your 
self-sufficient,  arrogant  man — almost  devoid  of  sympathy 
with  his  kind — whose  vanity  is  so  great  that  it  would  con- 
ceal any  mass  of  ignorance  rather  than  ask  another's 
opinion  or  advice.  To  do  so,  would  be  weak  in  his  eyes: 
but,  if  weak  at  all,  his  own  motive  is  far  weaker — it  is 
insufferable  vanity,  and  not  in  any  degree  the  noble  qual- 
ity of  self-reliant  Pride. 

And  so  it  came  about  that  Colburn  thought  over  the  con- 
ditions of  every  situation  himself — came  to  a  decision — 
and  then  announced  this  in  few  words  and  clear;  he  kept 
his  own  counsel,  never  talked  of  a  contemplated  act,  but 
waited  until  the  time  was  fit,  and  then  did  it:  it  weakens 
an  order  to  issue  in  drops — it  should  come  en  bloc,  with  the 
force  of  a  cascade. 

This  ignoring  of  Hawse  stung  him — he  snarled  like  a 
dog  when  an  attempt  is  made  to  snatch  away  his  bone; 
and  every  new  order  that  came  without  preamble  was  but 
the  occasion  for  greater  show  of  teeth.  The  scowling 
spread — the  other  Mates,  the  Engineer,  even  some  of  the 
men,  became  affected;  so  that  the  Captain  scarcely  met  a 
cheerful  look  when  he  went  about  the  ship;  and  yet  there 
was  sunshine  in  their  life — the  fictitious  gloom  was  solely 
for  him.  The  twang  of  the  Spaniard's  guitar  was  often 
heard  in  accompaniment  to  Adeline's  sweet  voice  in  a 
stanza  of  the  Paloma  which  he  had  taught  her;  a  fiddle 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  67 

supplied  a  lively  tune  every  evening;  and  there  was  a  group 
to  join  in  the  song  and  dance:  all  this  merriment  was  an 
indication  of  the  contentment  that  really  existed — and 
why  should  it  be  otherwise  ?  Their  food  was  good,  their 
work  equitably  apportioned,  their  proper  rest  ensured; 
they  were  justly  and  considerately  dealt  with;  and  the 
substance  of  everything  conducive  to  their  well-being  was 
provided :  it  was  only  the  mask  of  discontent  that  was  put 
on. 

Sea  life,  whether  in  the  merchant  marine  or  in  the  naval 
service,  is  no  more  exempt  from  craft  than  life  elsewhere — 
it  only  manifests  itself  differently;  and  on  the  Wenonah 
this  craft  took  the  form  of  thwarting  the  Captain  by  a 
multiplicity  of  petty  devices. 

Hawse  planned  with  the  utmost  cunning  the  situation 
he  would  create  for  Colburn — he  would  deprive  him  of  the 
good  will  of  officers  and  men  alike,  who  should  watch  him 
with  the  eye  single  to  seeing  only  harm  to  themselves  in 
his  every  move;  this  would  prey  upon  Colburn  and  bring 
about  physical  and  mental  nervousness,  if  not  collapse: 
then  he  would  step  in  and  seize  the  control  he  exercised 
under  old  Rowley. 

But  he  had  now  another  than  Rowley  to  deal  with. 

Notwithstanding  the  emotion  that  was  raging  within 
him,  and  his  mobility  of  feature  that  was  prone  to  show  its 
fire,  still  Colburn  kept  his  actions  well  in  check:  he  was 
thinking  hard — aware  that  some  commotion  was  surging 
beneath  him;  but  how  much  he  knew  of  its  nature  and 
extent,  his  serious  look  gave  no  sign.  They  were  now 
nearing  Callao — within  a  week  they  would  be  at  anchor — 
and  he  must  have  some  little  time  to  see  the  effect  of  the 
course  he  should  adopt,  before  entering  port. 


68  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Accordingly,  one  morning,  after  breakfast,  he  sent  the 
steward  to  tell  the  three  Mates  that  he  wished  to  see  them 
in  his  cabin,  the  one  on  watch  to  be  relieved  by  the  Boat- 
swain. When  they  came  in,  he  said : 

"  I  need  not  tell  you  of  the  state  of  affairs  that  exists  on 
this  ship — you  know  it  well,  and  also  its  cause,  no  doubt, 
better  than  I  do.  I  have  called  you  in  to  let  you  know 
what  I  have  decided  to  do  toward  remedying  it.  You  will, 
hereafter,  be  in  three  watches,  Mr.  Hawse  taking  his 
regular  turn,  instead  of  the  morning  and  dog  watches  as 
now.  The  morning  inspection  will  be  at  nine  thirty  and 
I  shall  be  present  at  it.  The  Second  Mate  alone  will  have 
charge  of  the  cleanliness  of  the  men,  and  he  will  inspect 
both  the  watches  and  report  their  condition  directly  to  me, 
instead  of  to  the  First  Mate  as  now.  The  Third  Mate 
will  have  charge  of  all  the  boats ;  he  will  inspect  them  every 
day  and  see  that  they  are  always  serviceable,  and  report 
directly  to  me  at  inspection.  The  First  Mate  will  have 
charge  of  the  sails,  spars,  rigging  and  all  other  parts  of 
the  ship ;  he  will  inspect  them  periodically  and  report  their 
condition  to  me.  I  don't  want  it  understood  as  a  threat, 
still  I  think  it  due  as  a  warning,  that  unless  matters  mend — 
unless  there  is  a  cheerful  and  ready  compliance  with  my 
orders,  I  shall  set  the  person  ashore  that  I  consider  respon- 
sible for  the  insubordination :  he  will  be  paid  off  at  the  next 
port  we  reach  after  I  am  convinced  of  his  offence.  I  have 
no  intention  of  allowing  the  present  surly  condition  to 
continue  to  New  York.  This  is  all  I  have  to  say,  except 
to  Mr.  Hawse,  who  will  remain." 

When  the  others  left  the  cabin,  the  Captain  turned  to 
him  and  continued:  "When  I  came  on  board  this  ship  I 
asked  you  to  give  me  a  list  of  the  articles  in  your  store- 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  69 

room  with  the  cost  and  selling  price  of  each :  several  weeks 
have  passed,  and  you  have  not  yet  done  it;  now  I  want  it  by 
to-morrow  night,  and  also  that  you  post  a  list  of  the  articles 
with  their  selling  price  only,  on  the  door  of  the  storeroom 
and  in  the  crew's  quarters.  I  have  only  one  thing  more  to 
say,  and  that  is,  that  I  shall  hereafter  take  a  more  direct 
part  in  the  management  of  affairs;  but  this  is  not  to  be  a 
reason  for  you  to  relax  in  any  way." 

The  Mate  had  come  in  with  a  defiant  spirit — ready  to 
deny  any  accusation  the  Captain  might  make,  for  he  had 
expected  only  such :  when,  however,  this  was  made  only  by 
insinuation,  and  that  what  was  said,  and  with  all  the 
directness  possible,  was  merely  an  order  to  be  obeyed — 
with  the  alternative  of  open  revolt  and  be  set  ashore — it 
took  all  the  fight  out  of  him. 

He  had  been  found  out:  he  had  been  humiliated  in  the 
presence  of  the  other  Mates:  he  no  longer  occupied  a 
coigne  of  vantage,  but  was  on  the  common  level — shorn  of 
the  independent  action  which  he  might  have  exercised, 
had  he  not  over- reached  himself:  he  was  discredited  with 
the  Captain,  and  was  merely  another  cipher  added  to  those 
he  himself  had  reduced  to  naught — not  the  significant 
figure  that  gave  them  value. 

He  recovered  himself  enough  to  say  with  some  submis- 
siveness,  "  Captain,  this  is  a  hard  thing  you've  done  to  me: 
I  don't  deserve  it;  I  have  always  done  my  duty." 

"It  is  nothing  to  what  you  have  tried  to  do  to  me:  do 
you  know  what  your  offence  is  ?  I  call  it  inciting  to 
mutiny,  and  if  I  could  get  witnesses  to  the  fact,  I  would 
not  stop  at  the  only  means  within  my  power,  but  have  you 
before  the  first  court  that  could  try  you :  your  grasping  for 
power  has  impelled  you  to  this  outrageous  act :  you  are  old 


70  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

enough  in  years  and  in  the  usages  of  the  sea,  to  know  that  it 
is  the  greatest  crime  that  can  be  attempted  on  board  ship : 
you  deserve  the  severest  punishment,  without  considera- 
tion. I  will  speak  no  more  on  the  subject,  but  hope  this 
mild  lesson  will  be  of  use  to  you." 

During  the  following  few  days,  the  behavior  of  the  First 
Mate  was  all  the  Captain  could  desire — he  was  respectful 
and  eager  to  do  his  bidding;  and  as  a  consequence,  the 
others  did  likewise.  Colburn  had  judged  them  aright — 
weather  vanes  that  would  be  quick  to  turn  with  any  new 
shift  of  wind. 

The  change  was  so  noticeable  that  the  Doctor  remarked 
to  Brooks,  "  Do  you  see  how  smoothly  everything  is  going 
on  now — 'tis  wonderful:  the  Captain  must  have  given 
heroic  treatment  for  the  malady." 

"That's  true,"  said  Brooks:  "  Colburn 's  thoughtful  look 
for  the  past  two  weeks  showed  he  had  a  serious  case  on 
hand :  the  diagnosis  must  have  been  correct  and  the  remedy 
effective — it  certainly  was  not  homeopathic.  I  am  very 
glad  now  that  we  gave  him  no  hint  of  what  was  going  on." 

"  O  yes,"  replied  the  Doctor:  "  'tis  generally  best  to  keep 
out  of  family  feuds." 

The  weather  was  now  decidedly  changing :  the  customary 
sunshine  was  gone,  and  banks  of  vapor  filled  the  sky, 
sometimes  in  dense  masses  shutting  out  the  horizon,  and 
again  in  long  filmy  streamers  torn  by  the  wind :  the  air  was 
very  damp — they  were  nearing  Callao,  the  place  where 
it  never  rains,  but  where  the  fog  closes  in  with  such  pene- 
trating wetness  as  to  rival  the  downpour  of  other  places. 

One  day  more,  and  they  would  be  at  anchor.  Colburn 
had  never  been  in  this  port,  but  he  had  made  himself 
familiar  with  it  by  study  of  the  charts  and  sailing  directions. 


FROM  SAN  FRANCISCO  TO  CALLAO  71 

Notwithstanding  the  frequent  obscuring  of  the  sun,  he 
got  good  observations  for  latitude  and  longitude,  and  also 
(what  was  no  less  valuable)  a  series  of  time-azimuths  by 
which  he  determined  compass  errors  on  the  courses  he 
should  use  running  in.  Working  out  these  and  having  an 
eye  on  the  preparations  for  port,  kept  him  very  busy  dur- 
ing the  day.  He  hoped  that  night-fall  would  sweep  away 
the  mist  so  that  he  could  see  the  high  land  of  San  Lorenzo 
well  out  to  sea;  but  in  vain:  the  fog  settled  down  denser 
and  wetter  than  ever,  and  the  breeze  began  to  fail.  To- 
ward midnight  it  was  almost  calm,  with  everything  drip- 
ping with  the  heavy,  wet  fog.  He  gave  orders  to  get  up 
steam  and  couple  the  propeller,  and  when  these  were 
ready,  he  had  the  sails  furled,  and  proceeded  cautiously 
under  steam — blowing  the  whistle  continually.  His  ob- 
servations now  stood  him  in  good  stead,  for  he  could  shape 
his  course  with  safety  through  the  fog  and  darkness,  and 
avoid  the  outlying  islets  that  are  so  dangerous  and  worry- 
ing to  one  not  sure  of  his  position  and  compass  deviations. 

Daylight  came,  and  with  it  the  fog  began  to  drift  away. 
The  sun  shone  forth — the  mist  grew  thinner — it  faded  to  a 
gauzy  veil,  and  through  its  folds  Colburn  was  delighted  to 
see  the  prominences  of  San  Lorenzo  coming  out  directly 
ahead.  He  had  been  up  all  night  and  was  worn  out,  but 
this  his  first  successful  landfall  in  command  was  a  spur  to 
his  spirits  and  a  source  of  much  satisfaction. 

The  First  Mate  had  the  morning  watch  and  made  every- 
thing ship-shape,  as  he  well  could  do :  the  anchors  were  got 
ready  for  letting  go;  decks  washed;  bright- work  cleaned; 
sails  neatly  furled ;  yards  squared ;  rigging  hauled  taut  and 
snugly  coiled  on  the  pins. 

At  eight  o'clock  a  large  new  ensign  was  hoisted  at 


72  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  peak,  and  both  watches  went  to  breakfast. 

The  ship  steamed  rapidly  on — a  beautiful  specimen  of 
American  marine  architecture.  The  Captain  piloted  her 
in. 

When  close  to  the  shipping,  he  descried  an  American 
flag  on  a  vessel  at  anchor,  so  he  steered  to  take  up  a  berth 
astern  of  her. 

The  Boatswain  piped :  "  All  hands  bring  ship  to  anchor!" 
and  men  and  officers  went  to  their  stations:  the  former 
were  in  mustering  clothes,  and  the  latter  in  uniform. 

The  Wenonah  slowed  down,  made  a  graceful  sweep 
around  the  stern  of  the  United  States  Flagship  Adirondack, 
which  was  the  vessel  that  bore  the  American  flag  he  had 
seen,  and  when  off  her  port  quarter,  let  go  the  anchor 
and  swung  to  the  Trade  Wind. 

The  crew  of  the  Adirondack  swarmed  at  the  rail,  waving 
their  caps,  while  her  band  played  the  Star  Spangled 
Banner. 

It  was  an  inspiriting  sight — this  fine  ship  and  her  majestic 
entrance  among  the  vessels  that  thronged  the  harbor. 


CHAPTER  V 

CALLAO 

CALLAO,  the  chief  port  of  Peru,  is  built  on  an  expanse 
of  flat  ground  that  is  but  a  few  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea;  and  the  rise  of  this  plain  toward  Lima  (eight  miles 
distant)  is  very  gradual.  Further  on,  however,  the 
ascent  is  rapid,  and  soon  the  steep  slopes  of  the  Andean 
Cordillera  are  reached,  towering  more  than  seventeen 
thousand  feet  into  the  region  of  perpetual  snow. 

The  port  has  an  inner  harbor  made  by  artificial  construc- 
tions, and  an  outer  one  naturally  formed  by  a  projection 
or  spit  of  the  mainland  south  of  the  city  and  an  island 
(San  Lorenzo)  lying  a  short  distance  to  the  westward. 
In  this  outer  harbor  the  great  bulk  of  the  shipping  lies  at 
anchor — riding  to  the  winds  that  blow  through  the 
Bocaron,  the  passage  between  San  Lorenzo  and  the  spit. 

The  city  is  the  headquarters  of  English,  French,  and 
German  lines  of  steamers  that  maintain  regular  communi- 
cation with  Europe  by  way  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan: 
more  steamers  go  to  Panama,  Valparaiso,  and  other  ports 
north  and  south :  numerous  sailing  vessels  and  several  ships- 
of-war  of  different  nationalities  are  always  in  harbor;  and 
indeed  so  much  is  it  the  entrepot  for  merchandise,  that 
more  than  two  thousand  craft  of  all  kinds  enter  it  annually. 
This  means  that  sailors  abound  at  all  times — sailors  of 
every  race  and  of  every  grade;  and  likewise,  that  allure- 
ments to  attract  them  also  abound  and  flourish — the 

73 


74  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

gambling  den,  the  house  of  ill  repute,  and  the  groggery. 

The  population  numbers  more  than  forty  thousand — 
some  of  pure  Spanish  blood,  a  sprinkling  of  Americans, 
English,  French,  Germans,  and  Chinese;  but  the  great 
majority  is  native,  either  Mestizos — a  mixture  of  Indian 
and  Spaniard — or  pure  Indian. 

A  railway  and  a  carriage  road  connect  the  port  with 
Lima,  the  capital — a  fine  city  of  over  two  hundred  thou- 
sand inhabitants. 

Both  Callao  and  Lima  have  many  of  the  modern 
improvements  and  comforts  that  cities  of  similar  size  in  any 
other  country  possess:  the  houses  are  generally  only  two 
stories,  however,  on  account  of  the  danger  from  earth- 
quakes. The  original  settlement  of  Callao,  which  was  a 
little  south  of  the  present  city,  was  destroyed  in  1746  by  an 
earthquake  and  tidal  wave.  Pizarro  founded  Lima  in 
1535,  during  his  conquest  of  Peru;  and  in  that  city  he  was 
assassinated. 

Callao  being  in  the  midst  of  the  Southeast  Trades, 
enjoys  the  mild,  equable  climate  of  the  zone  swept  by  those 
winds:  they  come  from  the  Atlantic  heavily  laden  with 
vapor  which  they  gradually  discharge  as  rain  while  blowing 
over  Brazil,  giving  growth  to  the  luxuriant  vegetation  of 
that  land;  they  deposit  moreAon  the  eastern  slopes  of  the 
Andes;  and  finally  as  they  rise  to  the  summit  of  the  Cor- 
dilleras, the  last  vestige  of  moisture  is  wrung  from  them  by 
the  frigid  peaks,  in  the  form  of  snow.  Thus,  the  Trades 
pass  as  dry  winds  over  the  narrow  strip  of  plain  west  of  the 
Andes  in  which  Callao  and  Lima  are  situated,  making  of 
this  region  one  of  the  rainless  areas  of  the  globe.  It  never 
rains  at  Callao — but  FOG!  dense,  wet,  and  dripping,  is 
frequent. 


CALLAO  75 

As  the  ocean  that  washes  the  coast  is  within  the  Tropics, 
there  is  necessarily  abundant  evaporation  from  its  surface: 
this  vapor  fills  the  air,  and  would  generally  be  invisible, 
or  at  most  fleck  the  sky  with  light  feathery  clouds  (by 
reason  of  the  natural  warmth  of  the  locality)  but  for  a  cold 
ocean  current  that  skirts  the  coast  on  its  way  toward  the 
equator  from  the  Antarctic.  The  inroad  of  cold  air  from 
this  current  condenses  the  vapor,  and  this  saturates  every- 
thing— drops  from  everything — obscures  everything,  and 
makes  the  run  into  port  a  worrying  procedure  for  ships. 

Nothing  burns  the  skin  so  much  as  fog — a  sunny  fog,  if 
one  may  so  call  that  which  often  settles  upon  Callao; 
where  the  misty  vapor  is  impenetrable  all  round,  and  yet 
the  sun  shines  down  from  a  small  blue  dome.  But  it  is  not 
always  foggy  at  Callao:  many — very  many,  genial,  sunny 
days  occur;  and  then  the  soft,  balmy  feeling  of  the  Trade- 
wind  climate  is  experienced. 

Among  seamen,  Callao  is  noted  for  its  "Painter" — an 
atmospheric  condition  that  arises  suddenly,  and  in  a  night 
turns  the  white  paint  of  ships  a  dirty,  streaked,  blackish 
hue :  it  is  supposed  to  be  due  to  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and 
other  gases  that  strongly  impregnate  subterranean  springs 
which  periodically  force  their  way  through  an  overlying 
stratum  of  mud  and  clay  in  the  harbor. 

Of  late  years,  food  of  all  kinds  is  abundant  and  reason- 
able in  price  in  both  Lima  and  Callao ;  and  the  fertile  spots 
along  the  valley  of  the  Rimac  yield  a  plentiful  supply  of 
fruit:  the  alligator  pears  are  especially  fine. 

The  most  delicious  cup  of  coffee  in  the  world  can  be 
obtained  from  the  bean  grown  in  Peru :  Cuzco  coffee,  as  it 
is  called,  is  unexcelled  for  its  smooth  taste,  aromatic  per- 
fume, and  rich  pleasing  savor:  freshly  made,  with  its  own 


76  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

excellence  brought  out  and  enhanced  by  pure  cream — 
giving  it  a  fine  golden  color — no  beverage  can  surpass  it: 
it  is  well  worth  the  high  price  it  commands  even  on  its 
native  heath. 

The  general  features  and  aspect  of  Callao  and  Lima  are 
Spanish:  the  language  is  Spanish:  the  habits,  customs, 
and  practices  bear  a  strong  Spanish  impress;  and  the 
intercourse  of  the  people  is  characterized  by  Spanish 
courtesy  and  deliberateness  that  makes  one  feel  he  is  living 
in  a  reposeful  community.  The  hustling  American, 
impatient  of  their  easy  way  of  conducting  affairs,  calls  them 
manana  people — which,  being  freely  translated,  means 
that  they  seldom  do  to-day  what  they  can  put  off  till  to- 
morrow. 

There  are  many  beautiful  women  in  both  cities,  and  they 
constitute  a  distinctive  type — having  small,  regular, 
delicate  features;  clear,  pale  complexion;  black  hair;  and 
very  black  eyes — full  of  sparkle,  directness,  and  candor. 
Their  organization  seems  to  be  of  the  nervous,  decided 
kind,  rather  than  (as  one  would  expect  in  a  tropical  clime) 
a  languid  and  pliant  one. 

With  entire  modesty  and  propriety,  they  call  a  spade 
a  spade:  one  day  a  party  came  on  board  the  Wenonah  to 
see  the  ship ;  they  were  from  Lima  and  consisted  of  several 
young  girls  and  some  married  women — all  far  above  the 
middle  class.  Brooks,  who  spoke  Spanish,  acted  as  host 
to  entertain  them,  and  found  their  language  cultivated  and 
refined.  He  said  to  a  young  sefiora  who  gave  her  age  as 
eighteen : 

"  Do  you  marry  young  in  this  country  ?" 

"  O  yes,  sometimes  at  fifteen :  my  sister  there  (pointing  to 
her)  is  only  twenty-eight,  and  she  has  seven  children," 


CALLAO  77 

"And  you,"  said  Brooks,  "  are  you  married  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Have  you  children?" 

"No." 

"  But,"  continued  Brooks,  thinking  she  was  only  recently 
married,  "you  will  have  some  in  time?"  "No  lo  se:  he 
sido  casada  dos  anos" — with  a  shrug  as  if  to  say,  the  case 
is  hopeless. 

Brooks  thinking  it  was  an  instance  of  marido  viejo  y 
mujer  joven,  asked — "How  old  is  your  husband?" 

"Twenty-two!" 

There  is  neither  prude  nor  brazen  in  their  manner, 
actions,  or  speech;  but  honest,  frank,  innocent  nature. 

The  first  steamer  sailing  for  Panama  after  the  arrival 
of  the  Wenonah,  carried  in  her  mail  the  following  letter 
from  Jacob  Hawse  to  his  friend  Angus  Bain,  a  clerk  in 
the  shipping  house  of  Alec  Campbell  &  Co.  of  New 
York,  owners  of  the  Wenonah: 

American  Ship  Wenonah,  Callao. 

Friend  Bain:  Before  you  get  this,  you'll  hear  Colburn 
got  the  ship.  He's  that  fellow  that  done  wharf  duty  so 
long  in  Frisco  that  he  forgot  sailorizing.  What  do  you 
suppose  he's  done  here?  Put  us  all  in  uniform!  He 
sprung  it  on  the  men  after  we  left  port.  He  had  a  supply 
of  clothing  hidden  on  board,  and  they  had  to  draw  suits 
when  we  were  two  weeks  out  and  couldn't  help  themselves. 
He  won't  let  them  wear  the  clothes  they  came  aboard  in. 
They  think  he's  making  money  out  of  it,  and  are  wild 
about  that  and  other  things. 

We  have  inspection  every  day.  The  men  would  keep 
clean  of  their  own  will,  if  let  alone;  but  it  is  having  the 
Captain  look  at  them  to  see  that  they  are,  that  angers  them. 


78  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

We  have  exercises,  too,  of  all  kinds.  That's  all  right, 
to  look  out  for  a  man  if  he  falls  overboard,  or  if  the  ship 
takes  fire;  but  to  be  tacking  ship  and  reefing  sail  so  as  to 
have  it  done  ship-shape — I  never  saw  that  before.  I  can 
tack  ship  with  a  dozen  men  any  time,  and  I  can  reef  in  any 
storm  with  all  hands,  and  I  don't  want  any  drill  beforehand 
to  do  it  well.  It  is  a  waste  of  time,  and  we  wasted  many 
hours  in  it.  We  ought  to  have  reached  Callao  long  ago. 
Colburn  was  in  the  Navy  during  the  war,  so  we  have  all  the 
slow,  costly  ways  of  running  a  ship  that  he  learnt  there. 
He  takes  in  the  light  sails  whenever  the  wind  is  strong, 
when  they  would  give  the  ship  another  knot.  That's 
Navy  style,  but  not  the  way  we  do  in  the  merchant  service. 
Then  he  don't  know  how  to  take  advantage  of  the  wind. 
Instead  of  keeping  close-hauled  and  heading  right  up  for 
the  port  whenever  the  wind  let  him,  he  followed  some 
kind  of  a  race  course  he  laid  down  on  the  chart  which  he 
showed  us. 

All  rot !  In  this  way  we  idled  away  out  almost  to  Easter 
Island  before  heading  up  for  Callao.  At  the  rate  we're 
now  jogging  along,  it  will  take  two  weeks  more  than  it 
should  to  reach  New  York.  O  he  will  cost  the  owners  a 
nice  penny  before  he  gets  the  ship  there!  But  he  won't 
run  her  into  any  danger  while  I'm  aboard.  I've  told  the 
mates  to  call  me  at  night  in  case  of  bad  weather  and  to 
keep  me  posted  on  everything  going  on.  When  the  Cap- 
tain is  not  about,  I  mean  to  have  the  ship  steer  a  course 
that  will  bring  her  quickest  into  port,  and  carry  all  the 
sail  she'll  stand.  But  I  can't  prevent  some  delay,  as  he 
is  on  deck  sometimes. 

He  don't  know  how  to  handle  men.  They  won't  work 
for  him.  And  unless  you  know  the  sailor  and  humor  him, 


CALLAO  79 

he's  like  a  mule,  and  you  can't  get  over  his  stubborn 
spirit.  Who  suffers  for  this  ?  Why,  the  owners,  of  course. 
How  would  it  be  in  your  office,  for  example  ?  If  the  clerks 
had  ill  will  for  Alec  Campbell  &  Co.,  do  you  think 
things  would  get  on  as  well  as  with  their  good  will  ?  'Tis 
the  same  on  board  ship.  Things  don't  go  well  when  the 
skipper  don't  understand  the  men,  and  if  damage  don't 
come  to  the  ship,  delay  will:  they  won't  be  in  a  hurry  to 
brace  yards,  or  shake  out  reefs,  or  bend  new  sails  when 
others  carry  away.  Their  ill  will  takes  a  hundred  forms 
of  butting  against  the  Captain,  who,  they  know,  wants  to 
stand  well  with  the  owners. 

You  can  put  it  down  as  fixed  that  Jake  Hawse  don't 
make  any  more  passages  with  that  man  Colburn.  I 
wouldn't  have  my  reputation  spoiled  by  having  it  said  that 
I  was  Mate  of  that  tub  Wenonah.  But  the  ship's  all  right. 
'Tis  the  way  she's  run  is  all  wrong.  You  ought  to  see  that 
the  owners  look  out  for  their  interest  in  this  matter. 

Yours  truly, 

JACOB  HAWSE,  First  Mate. 


CHAPTER  VI 

JOHN  NORTHRUP 

"FoR  see  your  vocation,  brethren,  that  there  are  not  many 
wise  according  to  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many 
noble :  but  the  foolish  things  of  the  world  hath  God  chosen, 
that  He  may  confound  the  wise ;  and  the  weak  things  of  the 
world  hath  God  chosen,  that  He  may  confound  the  strong; 
and  the  base  things  of  the  world  and  the  things  that  are 
contemptible,  hath  God  chosen,  and  things  that  are  not, 
that  He  might  bring  to  nought  things  that  are — that  no 
flesh  should  glory  in  His  sight." — New  Testament. 

John  Northrup  was  not  a  great  man  in  the  sense  that 
men  were,  whose  names  appear  in  this  chapter;  but  he 
wrought  out  his  own  career  with  courage  and  honesty, 
and  contributed  in  no  slight  degree  to  the  success  and 
happiness  of  others:  he  made  the  most  of  his  talents  and 
opportunities,  and  therefore  deserves  to  have  his  life  told 
in  brief,  as  typical  of  multitudes  who,  by  judicious,  per- 
severing effort,  become  the  support  and  mainstay  of  society. 
The  meteor  blazes  forth  and  astonishes,  but  it  is  the  steady 
genial  sunlight  that  gives  us  the  fruits  of  the  earth  and  the 
buoyancy  of  spirit. 

John  Northrup  became  a  passenger  on  the  Wenonah  at 
Callao,  and  in  the  closing  scenes  of  this  most  veracious  tale 
he  plays  an  important  part. 

Man  (using  the  term  in  its  generic  sense)  comes  into  the 
world  marked  as  distinctively  with  certain  characteristics  as 

80 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  81 

articles  of  commerce  that  bear  the  stamp  of  the  manu- 
facturer. As  he  grows,  and  the  features  acquire  a  cast  and 
expression  that  distinguish  him  from  other  men,  these 
features  will,  in  different  degrees,  bear  a  resemblance  to 
those  of  his  parents :  his  organs,  also,  will  partake  more  or 
less  of  the  condition  of  his  progenitors,  and  be  corre- 
spondingly sound  or  defective :  likewise,  a  vigorous  or  weak 
brain  may  safely  be  taken  as  an  index  of  the  source  from 
which  it  sprung. 

This  transmission  of  the  material  impress  is  easily  con- 
ceded to  be  in  the  natural  order;  but  there  are  other 
attributes — the  will,  temper,  passions,  emotions,  and  con- 
science— which  are  no  less  the  outgrowth  of  the  stem  than 
those  that  are  obviously  so:  and  even  qualities  that  may 
be  chiefly  of  cultivation  in  the  parent — affability,  grace 
of  movement,  elegance  of  speech — all  that  constitutes 
refinement  of  person — are  not  wholly  lost  by  the  death  of 
the  perishable  matter  upon  which  they  were  grafted  and 
nurtured,  but  become  part  of  the  new  life  that  succeeds 
to  it. 

The  first  generation  toils  with  its  hands  and  has  the 
plainness  and  brusqueness  that  such  a  condition  engenders : 
savings  accumulate,  and  in  the  second  generation  the 
amenities  of  life  creep  in:  while  with  the  third  generation 
we  have  wealth  and  the  refinements  of  culture  and  taste. 
It  is  the  same  stock,  but  bred  under  steadily  improving 
conditions. 

During  the  lapse  of  years,  certain  traits,  like  distinctive 
threads  woven  into  cloth,  permeate  the  organism  of  a 
whole  people,  and  hence  we  have  the  characteristics  that 
distinguish  one  race  or  nation  from  another:  man  is  born 
not  only  the  inheritor  of  his  parents'  acquisitions,  but  also 


82  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  heir  of  his  race  or  nation — streaked  with  those  pecu- 
liarities that  single  him  out  as  American,  French,  or  Ger- 
man; Caucasian  or  Mongolian. 

It  is  not,  however,  that  this  seed  of  family  or  of  race 
will  produce  an  offshoot  exactly  like  its  progenitor — the 
resemblance  will  be  only  in  general  characteristics,  more 
or  less  marked  in  the  individual :  nor  yet  can  the  inherent 
traits  of  the  child  be  so  cultivated  that  improvement  may 
be  insured  in  each  succeeding  generation  until  eventually 
perfection  is  attained — that  would  place  man  in  the  cate- 
gory of  growing  plants,  beyond  the  pale  of  emotions, 
passions,  reason,  and  judgment;  but  the  inevitable  frost 
comes  and  blights  the  most  carefully  nurtured  shrub,  and 
so  the  Might  of  God  often  strikes  man  in  his  arrogant  self- 
reliance.  Moreover,  as  if  to  impress  him  with  the  reality 
of  this  Higher  Power,  how  often  do  we  see  the  most  strik- 
ing examples  of  human  greatness  rise  direct  from  the  soil — 
from  the  most  humble  conditions  of  life — devoid  of  pre- 
vious cultivation — without  a  trace  in  their  antecedents  of 
those  qualities  that  make  the  world  resound  with  their 
fame! 

If  we  ask  who  has  described  with  greatest  accuracy  the 
varied  emotions  of  the  human  heart — placed  before  us  its 
workings  with  such  strength  and  aptness  of  expression  that 
they  have  passed  into  daily  speech  as  the  very  embodiment 
of  what  we  wish  to  say — does  not  the  name  of  Shake- 
speare rise  to  every  lip  ?  Shakespeare,  the  son  of  a  glove- 
maker! 

Seek  for  an  example  of  courage,  tact,  judgment,  and 
prudence — for  intrepidity  to  go  where  man  never  ventured 
— to  penetrate  the  unknown,  strewn  with  shoals  and  reefs, 
without  chart  or  guide,  or  aught  to  inform  him  of  wind  or 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  83 

current,  even  while  dependent  on  mutinous  sailors;  and 
we  find  Columbus — the  son  of  a  woolcomber! 

If  we  pursue  our  quest  into  the  Fine  Arts,  for  men  born 
of  parents  without  distinction,  but  who  themselves  became 
famous,  there  is  Raphael,  whose  pictures  are  almost 
animate  with  the  purity,  nobility,  and  charming  traits  of 
womankind — whose  Sistine  Madonna  alone  should  entitle 
him  to  a  place  in  her  heavenly  court;  and  Canova,  whose 
beautiful  marble  figures  lack  only  the  vital  spark  to  give 
them  speech — his  very  name  signifies  how  humble  was  his 
origin;  for  he  had  been  a  waiter  in  a  canova  di  vino. 

In  wisdom  and  philosophy,  Benjamin  Franklin  stands 
preeminent — the  fifteenth  child  of  a  family  of  seventeen; 
which  indicates  how  little  training  each  could  receive  from 
a  father  whose  trade  was  soap-making. 

John  Bright,  the  eloquent  reformer  and  just  man,  was 
the  son  of  a  cotton-spinner;  and  Daniel  Webster,  the 
eminent  statesman,  jurist,  and  orator,  whose  very  name 
typifies  strength  of  intellect,  was  a  farmer's  boy. 

Joseph  Fourier,  the  celebrated  French  mathematician, 
whose  analytical  process  is  universally  employed  in  phy- 
sical investigations,  was  the  son  of  a  tailor:  he  became  an 
orphan  at  the  age  of  eight  and  was  brought  up  by  a  friend. 

If  we  look  for  linguistic  versatility,  there  is  no  name  that 
will  stand  beside  that  of  Cardinal  Mezzofanti,  the  son  of 
a  poor  Bolognese  carpenter,  and  who  himself  was  destined 
for  the  same  trade.  Mezzofanti,  who  conversed  with 
almost  every  celebrated  person  of  every  country  who 
visited  either  Rome  or  Bologna,  and  with  each  in  his  own 
language  so  fluently,  so  correctly,  so  idiomatically — yea, 
even  to  provincialisms  of  the  several  nations,  as  to  astonish 
the  listener;  who  preached  to  the  Chinese  students  of  the 


84  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Propaganda  in  their  own  tongue;  who  was  Professor  of 
Sanscrit  and  Arabic  at  the  age  of  twenty-two;  who,  in  the 
course  of  his  life,  learned  Greek,  Latin,  English,  French, 
Spanish,  German,  Portuguese,  Russian,  Polish,  Turkish, 
Welsh,  Irish,  and  other  tongues  and  dialects,  until  at 
death  he  was  the  possessor  of  seventy-eight  different  ways 
of  making  himself  understood;  and  who  could  pass  from 
one  to  another  with  the  utmost  facility!  Truly,  such 
marvel  of  tongue  and  memory  could  never  be  evolved  or 
cultivated. 

Another  prodigy  that  baffles  speculation  and  reason 
alike  to  account  for  her  achievements  on  the  basis  of  mere 
human  effort,  is  Joan  of  Arc:  the  peasant  girl,  who,  at 
eighteen,  without  military  knowledge,  led  the  armies  of 
France  to  victories  that  ultimately  freed  her  country  from 
English  domination;  who  foretold  events  that  occurred 
exactly  as  she  predicted;  who  by  simple  honesty  turned  to 
confusion  the  craft  and  astuteness  of  her  judges;  who  bore 
martyrdom  at  the  stake  with  Christian  fortitude — the 
victim  of  foreign  hate  and  native  treachery;  who  in  camp 
and  in  court  as  well  as  in  the  humble  home  of  her  child- 
hood, was  noted  for  generosity,  religious  fervor,  trust  in 
Heaven,  uprightness,  modesty,  and  purity — Shakespeare 
to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding.  His  vilification  of  the 
Maid  of  Orleans  is  one  of  the  most  striking  instances  of 
national  prejudice  leading  even  a  great  mind  astray. 

If  we  push  our  enquiry  into  the  walks  of  literature,  we 
find  the  dramatist  Moliere — born  of  a  dealer  in  tapestry- 
endowed  with  a  sarcastic  wit  and  laughable  humor  that 
have  no  superior  for  ridiculing  shams,  hypocrisy,  and  silly 
pretensions.  Or,  to  turn  for  opposite  qualities :  the  noble, 
elevated,  thought  running  through  the  Essay  on  Man 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  85 

and  the  Universal  Prayer — both  expressed  in  the  most 
pleasing  rhythm  of  the  English  language — are  due  to  the 
offspring  of  a  linen  draper — Alexander  Pope,  small, 
sickly,  and  ill-favored  of  person.  Or  again,  in  a  still 
different  vein,  the  most  vivid  poetical  description  of 
disaster  at  sea — the  Shipwreck — is  the  production  of 
William  Falconer,  who  served  before  the  mast. 

If  we  turn  to  music,  how  many  millions  have  been 
delighted  and  thrilled,  whether  in  the  rich  boxes  of  the 
opera  house,  or  among  the  squalid  streets  of  a  city  where 
only  the  hand  organ  is  heard,  by  the  soul  stirring  melodies 
of  Verdi,  the  son  of  an  humble  innkeeper! 

As  this  is  a  narrative  of  the  sea,  it  is  highly  appropriate 
that  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  naval  heroes — John 
Paul  Jones,  should  receive  some  mention ;  a  word  upon  his 
humble  origin  and  the  hard  conditions  through  which  he 
worked  his  way  to  distinction.  He  had  a  positive  nature, 
and  made  friends  and  foes ;  there  was  not  a  neutral  tint  in 
his  character  to  leave  any  one  indifferent.  The  Scotch 
extol  him — he  was  of  their  race,  the  son  of  a  poor  gardener. 
The  English  decry  him — he  inflicted  great  injury  on  their 
shipping  both  naval  and  mercantile;  but  always  legiti- 
mately, in  fair  war,  in  the  service  of  his  adopted  country — 
the  United  States.  In  early  years  he  spent  much  time 
boating  in  the  waters  near  his  lowly  home,  and  at  twelve 
was  apprenticed  on  board  a  merchant  vessel.  Eventually, 
he  emigrated  and  settled  in  Virginia,  and  subsequently 
entered  the  Navy — or  rather,  helped  to  found  one,  in  1775. 
He  had  no  early  education,  no  friends  to  promote  his 
aspirations,  no  family  to  point  to  with  genealogical  pride — 
in  a  word,  no  influence,  no  backing  to  further  his  aims: 
he  had  to  fight  his  way  singly,  and  he  won  at  every  step, 


86  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

through  force  of  character  and  ability.  Even  at  the  age  of 
twenty-eight,  his  views  (as  expressed  in  letters  to  the 
Marine  Committee  then  considering  the  formation  of  our 
Navy)  could  hardly  be  surpassed  at  the  present  time  for 
enlightenment  of  thought  and  soundness  of  judgment. 
When  but  thirty-three,  he  had  won  victories  on  the  sea  that 
made  him  famous  the  world  over:  not  only  that,  but  he  had 
shown  unusual  skill  in  an  entirely  different  arena — di- 
plomacy: such  was  his  suavity,  courtesy,  and  acuteness  of 
mind.  He  was  the  favorite  of  the  polite  and  refined 
French  Court,  as  well  as  the  friend  of  the  rugged,  straight- 
forward founders  of  this  republic.  He  possessed  two  very 
dissimilar  traits — prudence  to  do  the  proper  thing,  and 
quick  decision  to  act  at  the  right  moment:  he  was  a 
determined  fighter  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  an  affable 
gentleman  in  the  parlor.  He  made  up  by  diligent  study 
the  defects  of  early  education.  Fame  was  his  even  during 
his  lifetime,  as  is  shown  by  the  number  and  variety  of 
publications  about  him:  and  he  was  also  long  made  in- 
famous by  the  British;  they  tried,  and  to  some  extent  suc- 
ceeded, in  branding  him  as  a  ruthless  pirate;  the  punish- 
ment he  inflicted  on  them  in  open  war  goaded  them  to 
blacken  his  name,  but  one  has  only  to  read  Buell's  biog- 
raphy to  see  how  malicious  was  the  act  of  his  vanquished 
foe.  No:  Paul  Jones  was  no  pirate;  but  a  man  full  of 
honor  and  the  finer  feelings — a  regular  officer  of  the  Navy, 
commissioned  to  fight  and  destroy  the  enemies  of  his 
country,  which  he  did  most  effectively.  He  died  in  Paris, 
and  there  his  body  remained  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years,  but  now  at  last  it  has  been  brought  to  rest  in  the  soil 
he  helped  to  free — to  be  forever  an  inspiration  to  the  youths 
of  his  profession  (the  midshipmen  at  the  Naval  Academy) 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  87 

to  cultivate  the  commendable  qualities  he  possessed — 
courage,  pertinacity,  and  penetration,  combined  with 
generosity  and  kindliness. 

For  centuries  men  groped  and  pondered  upon  the  system 
of  the  universe,  and  acute  minds  of  every  race  devised  their 
own  order:  the  earth  was  flat  and  rested  on  a  turtle;  it 
was  girded  by  Ocean  from  which  Phoebus  rose  every  morn 
— soared  through  the  ambient  air  and  made  the  day — 
sank  again  at  eve  into  Ocean,  to  float  round  by  way  of  the 
north  during  the  night — and  once  more  and  forever  begin 
its  bright  career  of  day  as  before;  the  earth  was  fixed  in 
space — a  sphere — and  the  sun  circled  round  it.  Finally 
the  truth  was  allowed  to  dawn  upon  the  human  mind: 
Copernicus — a  monk,  the  son  of  a  merchant — saw  the 
first  glimmer,  and  to  this  day  we  know  the  results  of  his 
insight  as  the  Copernican  system.  Another  ray  was  shed 
upon  the  offspring  of  a  musician,  and  Galileo  proclaimed 
of  the  earth,  e  pur  si  muove.  Next  came  Keppler,  who 
collated  the  heterogeneous  mass  of  astronomical  observa- 
tions that  had  been  made  by  his  predecessors,  and  out  of 
their  entanglement  evoked  the  beautiful  and  simple  laws 
of  planetary  motion:  now  what  parental  inheritance  had 
Keppler  for  this  task  of  marvelous  patience  and  deep 
penetration  ?  His  father  was  a  reckless  soldier  of  fortune 
and  his  mother  a  woman  of  violent  temper,  unmitigated  by 
the  rudiments  of  culture — an  ill-assorted  union:  he  him- 
self, through  premature  birth,  had  a  sickly,  undeveloped 
physique,  racked  by  ailments,  with  crippled  hands  and 
permanently  impaired  eyes.  Truly,  the  ways  of  Provi- 
dence are  inscrutable !  But  the  laws  of  Keppler  needed  a 
binding  force,  and  Newton — whose  father  was  a  farmer — 
appeared  and  announced  the  coherency  as  gravity,  and 


88  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

proved  its  applicability  in  diverse  ways.  At  last,  to  estab- 
lish all  the  preceding  on  a  firm  basis — to  treat  the  system 
of  the  universe  on  principles  that  neither  change  nor 
deceive — to  account  for  its  phenomena  and  whirling 
motions,  as  well  as  to  supply  the  methods  of  calculating  its 
future  movements,  came  the  renowned  mathematician — 
Laplace,  the  son  of  a  poor  French  peasant,  who  has  left 
in  the  Mecanique  Celeste  one  of  the  greatest  monuments 
to  the  human  intellect.  And  the  celebrated  translator  of 
this  work  into  English,  who  elucidated  it  by  copious  notes 
and  developed  formulas — the  American  mathematician, 
Nathaniel  Bowditch,  was  the  son  of  a  cooper;  and  he  him- 
self had  been  apprenticed  to  a  ship  chandler  in  early  life. 
Thus,  the  most  intricate  of  problems — the  system  of  the 
universe — did  not  find  its  solution  in  the  brains  of  those 
who  could  trace  their  lineage  in  the  peerage  of  intellect 
through  ages  of  culture;  nor  was  the  solution  to  confer 
fame  on  any  one  man:  but,  as  if  to  proclaim  that  the  Al- 
mighty favored  neither  race  nor  condition  of  men — that 
if  upon  particular  families  or  nations  He  allowed  wealth 
and  distinctions  to  accumulate  and  be  transmitted  from 
parent  to  child  until  they  deemed  such  their  birthright,  still 
He  could  at  will  check  this  assumption,  and  raise  from 
deepest  obscurity  and  on  any  soil  those  who  should  shine 
with  immortal  brilliancy. 

And  so,  during  a  period  of  three  hundred  years — from 
Copernicus  to  Bowditch — and  in  Germany,  Italy,  England 
France,  and  America,  we  find  names  that  will  be  famous 
in  every  land  when  those  noted  for  mere  wealth  and  what 
it  will  buy,  shall  be  effaced  from  the  world's  memory. 

Again:  in  the  realm  of  a  force  that  charms,  astonishes, 
and  dazzles  by  its  diversity  of  power  and  use — electricity, 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  89 

we  find  the  prominent  names  those  of  men  who  achieved 
distinction  by  their  own  efforts,  and  not  through  ancestry 
of  unusual  talents:  Ampere — the  son  of  a  merchant — 
stands  first  among  those  who  treated  the  subject  mathe- 
matically and  built  on  its  isolated  facts  a  beautiful  structure 
of  principles;  Faraday — the  son  of  a  blacksmith — made 
the  exhaustive  experiments  and  researches  which  exposed 
to  view  something  of  the  nature  of  the  phenomena,  and 
made  possible  the  telephone  and  dynamo  by  his  discovery 
of  the  induced  current;  and  Edison,  the  newsboy,  whose 
intelligence  and  ingenuity  put  this  force  to  so  many  uses 
both  practical  and  pleasing,  that,  had  he  lived  in  an  age 
less  enlightened,  he  would  be  considered  a  necromancer. 

Lastly :  when  men's  passions  rose  and  they  heeded  neither 
concession  nor  compromise,  but  sprang  at  each  other's 
throats  with  the  ferocity  of  tigers — bent  upon  disrupting 
the  government  that  did  most  for  the  freedom  and  self- 
respect  of  man,  it  was  not  one  full  of  the  wiles  of  politics 
or  skilled  in  the  functions  of  government  that  guided  the 
ship  of  state;  but  a  plain  man,  born  in  the  backwoods  of 
the  West — Abraham  Lincoln,  who  with  tact,  patience,  good 
sense,  and  straightforwardness,  conducted  to  a  successful 
issue,  a  war  that  meant  more  than  a  struggle  for  suprem- 
acy— rather,  a  struggle  by  a  nation  for  the  survival  of  its 
self  governing  principle.  And  his  ablest  lieutenants  in  the 
field  and  on  the  sea — Grant,  Sherman,  Sheridan,  Farragut 
— were  all  men  of  the  same  stamp:  honest,  frank,  and  true; 
men  of  strong  mind,  strong  will,  decided  convictions  and 
sound  judgment;  but  who  were  little  known  before  the 
occasion  arose  for  calling  their  qualities  into  action. 

On  the  other  hand,  Lee  had  been  the  fondled  favorite  of 
the  South  previously  to  the  war:  and  greater  than  Lee,  a 


90  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

military  star  of  not  only  the  first  magnitude,  but  of  un- 
equalled grandeur — Napoleon — was  not  allowed  to  set  in 
splendor  amidst  the  brilliance  of  kingdoms  he  raised  and 
sought  to  set  crouching  at  his  feet ;  but,  shorn  of  pomp,  on  a 
barren  islet  in  mid  Atlantic,  he  dragged  out  a  weary 
captivity.  Who  will  say  that  it  was  merely  a  Wellington 
that  thwarted  his  ambitious  dreams  ? 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  there  is  a  heredity  in  man  him- 
self as  well  as  in  the  conditions  into  which  he  is  born ;  and 
the  use  to  which  this  inheritance  will  be  put — the  trend  of 
his  endeavor,  will  depend  largely  upon  the  training  of  the 
child  during  the  years  when  character  is  malleable,  as  well 
as  upon  the  surroundings  and  circumstances  in  which  the 
adult  grows  to  manhood :  even  after,  for  the  mature  person 
never  loses  all  susceptibility  to  the  molding  processes  of 
environment. 

But  let  any  one  rise  above  the  conditions  in  which  he 
was  born  and  bred,  and  he  will  find  few  among  the  medioc- 
rity he  has  distanced  to  acknowledge  his  worth :  rather,  they 
will  have  that  other  feeling  indicated  by  the  question — '*  Is 
not  this  the  son  of  Joseph?"  Jealousy  and  proneness  to 
depreciate,  will  actuate  them;  and  a  generation  or  more 
must  pass  ere  time — acting  as  upon  wine — will  mellow  the 
asperities  of  early  life. 

"  Family"  is  worshipped  and  commands  the  respectful 
consideration  of  the  world,  and  rightly  so — in  the  main; 
for  what  does  blood — lineage — ancestry — mean,  if  not 
accomplishments,  abilities,  virtues,  refinement  of  manners ; 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart  that  have  distinguished  many 
individuals  of  a  long  line  ? 

But  on  the  other  hand,  there  must  have  been  a  beginning 
to  that  line. 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  91 

Who,  to-day,  would  not  be  proud  to  claim  descent  from 
Columbus,  Franklin  or  Laplace?  And  who  of  the 
"Families"  of  their  day  that  heard  of  their  approaching 
fame,  but  probably  spoke  of  them  with  some  sneering 
allusion  to  their  humble  origin ! 

The  monarchs  of  Europe  could  speak  of  Napoleon 
only  as  an  upstart,  or  the  Corsican  ogre!  What  had 
they  done  to  look  down  from  such  a  height  of  superiority  ? 
Nothing,  of  themselves:  they  simply  formed  part  of  the 
downward  slope — perhaps  even  the  low  level  of  some 
towering  peak,  which,  like  Napoleon,  had  brain  and 
energy  to  rise  from  the  common  plane  to  an  eminence  from 
which  the  descendants  become  visible  by  the  reflected  light. 

Due  respect  should  be  had  for  the  qualities  represented 
by  the  term  Family;  for  they  reduce  the  friction  of  life  and 
tame  the  harsh  traits  of  man:  but,  equally,  should  full 
appreciation  be  accorded  him  who  by  ability  and  strength 
of  character  rises  from  the  slough  in  which  nature  placed 
him,  and  attains  honorable  prominence. 

The  giants  of  fame  have  risen  from  obscurity;  and  by 
these  is  not  meant  the  captains  of  industry — far  from  it. 
Not  that  commercial  ability  is  to  be  treated  lightly  beside 
the  ability  that  shines  in  science,  or  law,  or  literature,  or 
statesmanship,  or  medicine,  or  military  prowess ;  for  in  the 
complicated  machinery  to  supply  the  material  needs  of 
the  world,  there  is  opportunity  for  the  exercise  of  high 
intelligence ;  but  with  mere  money  getting  and  its  methods — 
especially  in  immense  amounts — there  is  often  coupled  the 
taint  of  dishonesty;  and  it  is  this  taint  that  detracts  from 
the  distinction  that  wealth  alone  confers. 

John  Northrup  was  the  founder  of  his  own  fortune. 
He  was  one  in  the  family  serial  whose  numbers  appeared 


92  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

almost  with  the  recurring  harvests.  They  did  not  exactly 
grow  to  seed,  but  as  the  crop  was  large,  each  tender  plant 
received  rather  its  quota  of  parental  affection  than  any 
special  cultivation  to  improve  its  faculties  or  supply  it  with 
correct  principles. 

The  stock  was  good,  however;  and  what  culture  failed 
to  provide,  was  made  up  in  young  Northrup  by  traits  of 
inheritance — honesty  of  intent  and  act,  earnestness  of 
endeavor,  and  an  equable  temper. 

The  family  lived  on  a  large  farm  in  the  rich  valley  of 
the  Mohawk,  not  far  from  a  thriving  town:  the  land  had 
been  theirs  through  many  years  and  yielded  a  comfortable 
support. 

John  went  to  the  district  school  in  early  youth,  and  later 
to  an  academy  in  the  town.  He  was  studious,  and  besides 
being  thorough  in  his  lessons,  had  read  almost  every  book 
in  the  small  but  select  family  library. 

The  itinerant  book  agent  is  not  wholly  bad :  as  an  offset 
to  his  tantalizing  persistency  and  wiles,  must  be  placed  the 
incidental  good  of  distributing  wholesome  reading  among 
the  families  of  scattered  farm-houses — works  which,  on 
account  of  their  small  number,  and  the  inaccessibility  of 
the  trashy  fiction  of  circulating  libraries,  are  often  care- 
fully read. 

And  chiefly  to  the  book  agent  was  due  the  Northrup 
collection  of  standard  works  on  history,  literature,  poetry, 
fiction,  and  biography. 

The  boy  had  a  healthy  constitution  and  a  companionable 
nature.  At  sixteen  his  father  died,  and  to  John  fell  the 
task  of  taking  up  the  family  burden.  A  few  years  passed, 
during  which  their  means  steadily  grew  less ;  for  John  was 
not  an  adept  in  the  ways  of  selling  farm  produce,  although 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  93 

under  his  management  the  yield  of  the  land  was  the  same. 
Then  the  mother  died — the  only  one  of  mature  experience 
in  the  household. 

It  will  not  avail  for  the  purpose  of  this  story  to  recount 
the  incidents  following  the  bereavement  of  the  growing 
brood.  For  years  the  elders  cared  for  the  fledglings — 
clothed  and  fed  and  educated  them  until  they  grew  to  full 
feather,  got  strong  of  wing,  and  (ambitious  for  adventure) 
took  flight,  each  in  his  own  direction:  the  nest  of  their 
childhood  became  a  memory — the  farm  was  sold,  and  the 
money  equitably  divided  among  all. 

But  those  years  of  union  were  marked  by  the  faithful 
performance  of  the  obligations  that  had  fallen  upon  the 
elders  toward  the  youngsters — years  of  simple  family 
affection  and  numerous  happy  episodes  to  brighten  their 
plain  home;  and  years,  too,  of  anxiety  and  hard  toil:  but 
thrift  and  uprightness  characterized  their  conduct,  and  the 
family  grew  in  the  love  of  God  and  esteem  of  man. 

This  breaking  up  of  a  family  means  much  more  than  the 
mere  separation  of  its  members — it  oft  times  means  a 
severance  of  affectionate  ties,  of  sympathies,  of  joint 
pleasures  and  interests:  true,  intercourse  is  maintained  by 
letter  or  periodic  visit;  but  each  member  becomes  more 
and  more  imbued  with  the  associations  into  which  his  new 
road  leads,  until  eventually  the  old  bonds,  for  want  of 
frequent  renewal,  become  less  strong  and  at  last  end  in 
practical  disruption.  And  thus  it  must  be  recorded  of 
John's  brothers  and  sisters  that  while  in  the  long  years  after 
they  had  grown  to  maturity,  they  retained  in  the  inmost 
recesses  of  their  hearts  a  sincere  fondness  for  each  other, 
still  it  was  so  much  in  abeyance  that,  like  the  phosphores- 
cent glow  from  wood  long  dead,  it  indicated  rather  a 


94  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

decadent  than  a  healthy  life :  in  the  lapse  of  years  they  really 
knew  less  of  each  other's  true  character  than  of  the  friends 
they  casually  made. 

The  breaking  up  of  an  old  homestead  is  a  misfortune  not 
only  for  the  individual,  but  also  for  the  public  weal:  the 
family  continuity  being  broken,  go  with  it  all  those  ties — 
social,  religious,  and  business — all  that  network  of  con- 
nections which  have  sprung  from  it  as  one  of  the  roots  of 
the  social  fabric;  and  which  form  an  incentive  to  the  grow- 
ing members  to  live  up  to  their  traditions,  as  well  as  a 
check  upon  such  of  the  family  as  have  a  tendency  to  be 
wild.  There  will  be  clods  in  life — light  weights  in  the 
scales  by  which  every  public  question  is  determined;  and 
only  the  thinking  man  will  tip  the  balance  in  many  a  case. 
It  is  the  thinking  man  that  proposes  the  new  measure — 
it  is  the  thinking  man  that  decides  its  acceptance — the 
man  with  family,  home,  duties,  and  responsibilities  which 
knit  him  to  society  and  conduce  to  regularity  of  life. 

The  Northrup  home  was  extinct — the  family  continuity 
broken — every  tentacle  that  stretched  out  into  the  social 
order  was  cut  and  dead — the  effort  of  years  wasted — the 
family  scattered,  and  each  obliged  to  begin  a  foundation 
with  almost  the  simplicity  of  the  pioneer  who  clears  a  spot 
in  the  forest  for  the  log  cabin  he  will  build  of  the  felled 
trees. 

Let  us  trace  the  career  of  John :  he  began  life  in  the 
town  near  which  the  farm  was  located,  entered  a  lawyer's 
office  as  clerk,  and  commenced  the  study  of  law.  No 
connections  remained  to  aid  him — every  effort  had  to  be 
his  own ;  but  he  was  capable,  and  full  of  buoyancy  and  hope. 
His  share  of  the  money  derived  from  the  sale  of  the  farm 
was  intrusted  to  an  agent  for  investment — a  nest  egg  which 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  95 

he  hoped  to  add  to,  rather  than  call  upon  to  make  up 
deficits.  He  was  now  approaching  thirty.  As  time  went 
on  and  he  became  known  in  the  community,  he  was  favor- 
ably received  by  all — was  trusted  and  considered  a  man 
of  ability.  Eventually,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and 
began  practice;  but  the  remuneration  was  meagre  and  the 
daily  expenditure  had  to  be  carefully  adjusted  to  the 
monthly  income — in  that  staid  old  town  the  opportunity 
for  making  money  was  very  small. 

In  almost  every  community  there  is  a  local  magnate — 
a  man  whose  name  is  associated  with  every  undertaking, 
and  whose  dictum  is  oracular  to  his  followers.  Let  a  man 
suddenly  rise  to  wealth  or  political  power,  and  he  becomes 
exalted  in  the  eyes  of  such  a  following,  who  look  no  deeper 
than  the  mere  fact  of  prominence — who  think  not  of  the 
means  by  which  this  prominence  is  attained  nor  the  quali- 
ties that  work  for  it :  both  the  means  and  the  qualities  may 
shine  like  the  diamond,  or  be  black  and  base  as  the  coal: 
it  matters  not — to  the  hero  worshipper,  notoriety  is  every- 
thing. Like  the  benign  Buddha,  to  such  gentry  the  hero 
is  enthroned  amidst  an  effulgence  of  gold  leaves. 

With  the  growth  of  the  village,  the  local  magnate  multi- 
plies, and  when  it  has  reached  the  size  of  a  town  or  city, 
he  has  increased  in  proportion;  so  that  now  it  is  not  an 
individual  we  hear  of,  but  a  galaxy  of  central  figures,  each 
with  its  satellites — the  "Families" — the  Society  of  the  place. 

Among  such  in  the  town  in  which  John  Northrup  settled, 
was  the  family  of  Alexander  Frazer,  holding  its  footing 
on  a  basis  that  nobody  could  clearly  define:  there  was, 
however,  a  kind  of  vapory  halo  of  antecedents. 

In  this  family  was  a  daughter  who  had  a  heart  sprouting 
with  all  the  tendrils  of  youthful  affection,  that  in  the  order 


96  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

of  nature  sought  a  prop  round  which  to  twine;  and  when 
that  offered  in  the  person  of  John  Northrup,  it  was  not  long 
ere  each  discovered  that  the  other  satisfied  its  yearning. 
But  Northrup 's  present  was  based  on  slender  means;  his 
future  had  yet  to  be  assured;  and  his  past,  O  well — he 
had  none,  in  the  opinion  of  the  circle  in  which  Miss  Frazer 
moved.  He  simply  embodied  in  himself  all  that  could  be 
said  of  him — a  man  of  ability,  character  and  agreeable 
manners:  but  these  qualities  were  not  sufficient  for  her 
family  and  set;  and  it  mattered  not  at  all  that  both  parties 
to  the  prospective  union  were  personally  acceptable  to  each 
other — the  barrier  of  family  lay  between :  besides,  another 
suitor  was  in  the  field — a  man  in  no  wise  agreeable  to  the 
girl,  but  entirely  so  to  the  father,  on  the  twofold  ground  of 
belonging  to  their  set  and  possessing  a  goodly  income; 
and  so  the  daughter  was  bidden  to  cut  off  the  advances  of 
John  Northrup.  It  was  a  keen  cut,  which  became  the  head 
of  a  festering  sore. 

When  a  deep  gash  is  made  in  a  young  pine,  its  sap  oozes 
out  and  hardens  over  the  wound,  and  the  bark  rises  in  an 
oval  hump :  the  vigor  of  the  tree,  however,  enables  it  to  grow 
and  be  strong;  but  the  healed  spot  remains  a  blemish  on 
its  smooth  skin  and  is  a  sign  of  the  gnarled  fibre  beneath. 
So,  with  John  Northrup :  his  sensibilities  were  wounded — 
his  frank  ardent  affection  was  dammed  up — it  soured — 
and  throughout  life  formed  a  mental  ailment  exuding 
cynicism. 

It  was  a  wound  to  his  self  respect,  too;  for  he  correctly 
divined  the  chief  motive  that  inspired  the  refusal. 

"Can  it  be,"  thought  he,  "that  sensible  people  place  so 
much  value  on  matters  of  really  minor  importance  ?  I  am 
simply  not  in  the  same  category  with  her  family.  But 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  97 

am  I  in  a  lower  one — wherein  consists  the  difference  ? 

"My  parents  and  forefathers  were  honorable  and 
upright.  Large  families  prevented  them  accumulating 
wealth,  and  so  we  simply  didn't  have  those  things  that  come 
from  a  condition  of  ease — familiarity  with  the  conven- 
tionalities of  society.  But  these  are  the  mere  clothes  that 
should  not  make  the  man  beside  the  qualities  which  I  know 
I  possess ;  and  moreover,  my  manners  and  conduct  (though 
not  conventional,  I  grant,)  shock  the  code  of  no  grade: 
they  are  those  of  a  nature  that,  in  the  main,  is  considerate 
of  the  feelings  of  others.  And  evidently  the  Frazer  esti- 
mate of  me  did  not  differ  from  this ;  for  I  have  always  been 
cordially  received  until  this  closer  union  loomed  into  view. 
The  aureole  of  family  and  affluence  are  wanting  in  me — 
all  else  I  have :  money  and  station  Mr.  Frazer  has,  and  has 
had ;  they  came  to  him  like  his  blue  eyes  and  sandy  hair — 
but  all  else  ?  that  remains  to  be  tested :  he  has  never  done 
aught  to  conquer  a  place  in  the  world. 

"  I  have  good  prospects  of  ultimate  success  and  of  mak- 
ing a  happy  home ;  but  no — here,  the  rearing  of  the  farm- 
er's boy  will  ever  cling  to  me,  and  spiteful  tongues  will 
use  it  to  point  a  sneer:  I  will  cut  away  from  it  all — I  will  go 
where  every  breeze  of  fortune  will  not  raise  a  fetid  breath 
to  say  I  was  not  always  what  I  am  now." 

John  Northrup  was  right.  Unless  some  good  reason 
exists  to  the  contrary,  the  rising  man  should  mount  the 
swelling  wave  and  be  borne  on  its  crest  into  a  haven  where 
his  early  struggles  are  unknown :  however  manly  and  hon- 
orable these  may  have  been,  still  they  constitute  a  handi- 
cap in  the  arena  of  their  origin — an  unjust  prejudice  which 
cannot  be  reasoned  away  or  combated — which  only  the 
lapse  of  time  will  wear  down  to  harmless  size :  meanwhile, 


98  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  mere  consciousness  of  such  a  treacherous  undertow 
robs  every  stroke  of  its  security  and  vigor.  Only,  it  must 
be  remembered,  that  other  roots  will  be  severed  with  such 
a  tearing  up.  Man  is  essentially  an  associate  of  his  kind, 
and  is  happy  and  fulfills  the  object  of  his  being  only  in  the 
measure  in  which  he  mingles  with  other  men — takes  an 
active  part  in  the  business,  pleasures,  and  management  of 
society — a  live  and  alert  man  in  the  community,  breathing 
its  air,  buoyant  with  its  success,  saddened  by  its  afflictions 
— a  sentient  member  of  every  phase  of  its  activity.  In 
whatever  degree  he  partakes  of  all  this,  he  forms  ties — ties 
of  affection  and  of  interest;  and  these,  too,  will  be  ruth- 
lessly plucked  up — the  wheat  goes  with  the  cockle;  and, 
as  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  every  transplanting  is  a  check 
to  the  vitality  of  the  shrub,  so  with  man,  every  cutting 
away  from  the  community  in  which  he  has  intimate  con- 
nections is  a  blow  at  his  usefulness;  and  if  such  removals 
be  frequent,  he  becomes  a  nullity — a  dead  limb  on  the 
body  politic.  The  citizen  of  the  world  may  find  diversion 
and  a  kind  of  freedom  in  the  variety  of  his  wanderings; 
but  he  is  an  egoist;  and  to  be  of  any  use  in  the  world,  a 
man  must  be  an  active  citizen  of  a  particular  country, 
state,  and  city,  taking  pride  in  its  welfare  and  doing  his 
part  to  promote  it — deeply  attached  to  its  interests. 

Another  consideration  also  arises:  can  a  man  ever  sink 
his  identity  ?  Poor  Fantine  thought  to  bury  her  past  and 
begin  life  anew  and  honorably,  for  the  future  of  her  child ; 
but  in  the  remote  hamlet  where  she  sought  work,  there  was 
Madame  Victurnien  who  ferreted  out  Cosette  in  the 
obscurity  of  Montfermeil.  And  there  are  Mesdames 
Victurniens  at  all  times  in  all  countries,  who  are  ready  to 
pay  much  more  than  thirty  francs  to  defeat  the  efforts  of 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  99 

the  fallen  to  retrieve  their  past,  and  who  hypocritically 
credit  the  expense  to  the  furtherance  of  morality. 

Northrup  had  no  vile  deed  to  conceal  by  going  to  a  com- 
munity where  he  was  not  known;  but  on  the  other  hand, 
why  should  he  forever  stem  the  tide  that  rose  with  every 
advance  he  made  ?  There  was  no  good  reason ;  so  he  rent 
the  ties  of  youth  and  went  to  the  great  metropolis.  New 
York  is  a  city  where  you  may  walk  without  either  notice  or 
comment  by  the  multitudes  that  throng  its  streets :  they  are 
alike  ignorant  and  heedless  of  your  past,  present,  and 
future.  You  may  have  committed  some  shameful  act, 
or  the  deed  of  shame  may  have  been  another's,  and  you 
merely  the  innocent  victim  smarting  under  its  sting;  still 
you  can  pass  among  the  jostling  crowd — your  step  as  firm 
and  your  head  as  high  as  any:  they  neither  stop  nor  turn 
to  ask  who  or  what  you  are.  Each  is  too  much  occupied 
with  his  own  affairs.  There  is  an  unintentional  balm — 
even  moral  agency  in  this  characteristic  of  the  great  city: 
it  is  an  opportunity  for  the  dejected  and  full  of  heart  to 
recover  their  self-respect,  and  avoid  the  ever  tingling  goad 
of  a  small  town.  Nothing  rasps  more  on  the  sore  feelings 
than  the  consciousness  that  every  passer  knows  your  his- 
tory and  comments  upon  it. 

The  world  is  small,  however,  and  New  York  only  a  spot 
upon  it,  and  when  least  expecting  anything  untoward,  you 
may  meet  at  the  turn  of  a  corner  the  very  face  you  wished 
most  to  avoid;  but  that  matters  less  in  New  York  than 
elsewhere :  evil  report  and  petty  gossip  find  there  a  cobble- 
stone pavement  for  their  circulation,  rather  than  the 
smooth  roadway  of  an  idling  village.  New  York  is  such  a 
cosmopolitan  mingling  of  race,  religion,  and  condition, 
that  by  mere  business  attrition,  if  through  no  higher 


100     THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

motive,  the  asperities  of  intolerance  are  ground  down  to  at 
least  a  working  basis;  and  the  vicissitudes  of  fortune  are 
so  numerous  and  extreme,  that  men  may  rise  and  men  may 
fall,  but  it  causes  only  a  ripple  of  comment — no  lasting 
prejudice  as  in  some  provincial  community. 

But  many  currents  of  life  course  through  the  great  city 
without  mingling,  or  affecting  one  another,  any  more  than 
the  clear  blue  of  the  Gulf  Stream  mixes  with  the  turbid 
green  of  the  Cold  Wall;  and  it  depends  greatly  on  which 
current  you  launch  upon,  the  kind  of  eddies  and  whirls 
you  will  encounter. 

John  Northrup  came  to  New  York  wholly  unacquainted 
with  the  city  and  its  customs:  he  brought  no  letters  of 
introduction,  knew  no  one,  and  had  but  little  money. 

In  explanation  of  this,  it  must  be  said  that  the  agent  who 
invested  his  money,  acted  dishonestly;  and  when  the  time 
came  for  settlement,  there  was  some  plausible  but  wholly 
false  tale  about  disaster  having  befallen  the  investment,  so 
that  Northrup  got  only  a  small  part  of  what  he  had  given. 

For  the  second  time  he  had  to  begin  life  anew,  only  that 
now  it  was  under  much  greater  disadvantage. 

It  is  a  weary,  disheartening  search,  that  for  employment 
in  a  large  strange  city :  if  you  have  no  one  to  whom  you  can 
refer — nobody  who  knows  you — it  constitutes  a  kind  of 
stigma  which  makes  success  difficult :  people  look  askance, 
even  with  suspicion,  on  such  a  one. 

The  trades-union  is  not  the  only  combination  that  works 
counter  to  the  employment  of  those  outside  the  guild:  in 
recommendations,  as  in  numbers,  there  is  strength;  and 
he  who  brings  them,  carries  by  their  aid  alone  the  first  line 
in  the  battle  of  life;  while  he  who  can  win  without  influence 
of  any  kind  is  indeed  a  doughty  knight. 


JOHN  NORTHRUP  101 

INFLUENCE!  the  word  stands  for  all  that  is  subservient 
in  life — its  quest  is  emasculating.  There  are  those  in  pub- 
lic office  who  use  it  to  build  a  sub-structure  of  benefited 
dependents  upon  whom  they  may  count  in  their  hour  of 
need ;  and  less  do  such  functionaries  enquire  into  the  fitness 
of  a  subordinate  than  into  his  connections — his  pull,  and 
what  advantage  will  accrue  to  themselves  therefrom. 

Influence!  Backing!  Support!  In  the  measure  in 
which  you  are  known  to  possess  these,  will  certain  men 
flock  to  your  standard — be  proud  to  follow  it — be  indulgent 
of  your  caprices.  If  you  are  in  a  position  of  authority,  they 
will  obey  with  alacrity — nay,  even  anticipate  your  wishes. 
They  are  anxious  to  appear  well  in  your  eyes,  and  your 
every  act  is  lauded  as  of  great  significance.  You  may  be 
of  mediocre  intelligence — it  matters  not;  the  backing 
behind  you  gilds  every  quality.  Remove  that  backing,  and 
with  it  goes  the  roseate  hue,  just  as  the  crimson  cloud  be- 
comes a  leaden  pall  when  the  setting  sun  no  longer  reflects 
his  light  upon  it.  Woe  betide  the  man  without  backing 
whom  circumstances  may  have  placed  in  a  position  of 
responsibility,  where  he  has  to  depend  largely  upon  the 
efforts  of  others  for  carrying  on  his  office!  Worse  still, 
if  added  to  this  he  has  incurred  the  displeasure  of  those 
above  him:  it  were  better  that  he  had  never  undertaken 
the  office. 

His  character  may  be  excellent,  ability  superior,  and 
judgment  sound ;  but  the  subordinates  find  nothing  in  these 
to  impress  them :  when  his  position  is  gone,  he  can  be  noth- 
ing to  them,  and  so  their  service  is  grudgingly  given,  and 
only  to  such  extent  as  will  save  appearances.  If  not  active 
in  measures  to  thwart  his  success,  their  indifference  is  in 
itself  a  means  to  that  end. 


:  •  ,,:/•'',  %*" 
102      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

For  weeks  Northrup  searched  the  city  for  means  of  mak- 
ing a  living,  but  every  night  he  returned  to  his  little  room, 
weary  and  without  success.  Each  day  he  made  a  further 
reduction  in  his  aspirations — would  accept  humbler  and 
less  remunerative  employment;  but  still  the  quest  went  on. 
His  clothes  became  threadbare  and  glossy,  and  his  appear- 
ance wan  and  thin ;  sleep  and  food  did  not  renew  each  day's 
waste.  Food?  He  could  give  but  little  to  the  craving 
maw;  and  sleep?  One  does  not  slumber  with  an  empty 
stomach,  and  a  nervous  mind  hotly  discussing  a  dire 
situation. 

No:  he  suffered  now,  but  that  would  pass.  He  would 
eventually  get  something  to  do  and  acquire  comforts. 

Meantime  he  had  to  endure  the  cheapest  of  lodgings, 
and  not  only  the  plainest,  but  most  scanty  of  food ;  for  his 
means  were  dwindling,  and  every  cent  had  to  procure  its 
utmost:  add  to  this  the  daily  rebuff  to  his  enquiry  for 
employment — and  his  condition  was  indeed  pitiable. 

Months  passed,  and  all  he  could  get  was  a  precarious 
living  by  odd  jobs  that  paid  but  little:  they  were  the  first 
rent  in  the  clouds,  however,  through  which  a  vista  opened 
that  led  to  steady  employment  and  a  fair  salary. 

In  a  few  years  the  prospect  so  brightened  that  he  opened 
a  law  office:  clients  came,  but  they  were  chiefly  of  the 
criminal  class,  and  this  was  not  what  he  wanted.  The 
courts  of  a  large  city  for  the  trial  of  such  malefactors  are 
not  calculated  to  inspire  respect  for  mankind:  quite  the 
contrary — the  moral  ailments  there  exposed  are  like  the 
physical  sores  in  a  hospital. 

Northrup  himself  had  a  tender  wound  in  his  feelings,  and 
shrunk  at  the  prospect  of  having  it  opened  afresh  by  the 
plaint  of  every  new  client:  it  would  result  in  turning  his 


JOHN  NORTHRTTP  103 

ivhole  nature  awry — drying  up  all  frankness,  sincerity,  and 
sympathy — making  him  feel  that  only  vice  existed — sus- 
picious of  every  human  act.  It  was  a  tendency  he  fought 
against  for  ten  years  while  building  up  a  civil  practice  and 
letting  the  criminal  lapse.  At  length  the  day  came  when 
he  tried  his  last  case  of  this  kind,  and  entered  solely  on  the 
occupation  that  was  both  congenial  and  remunerative. 

In  ten  years  more  he  accumulated  a  fortune;  and  now 
he  began  to  make  periodic  trips  for  his  health,  enjoyment, 
and  variety  of  scene.  In  this  way  he  visited  many  States 
of  the  Union,  travelled  in  different  countries  of  Europe, 
and  extended  one  voyage  to  India,  China,  and  Japan,  thus 
becoming  familiar  with  the  ways — and  also  the  wiles,  of  the 
world  at  large.  His  law  practice,  even  at  its  best,  forced 
into  view  many  an  instance  of  these  wiles:  the  juror  who 
had  been  fixed ;  the  plaintiff  who  brought  suit  on  fraudulent 
injuries;  the  corporation  which  defended  its  case  with 
perjured  testimony;  and  the  judge  who  had  a  leaning 
toward  favorites  in  distributing  referee  cases — all,  moral 
ulcers. 

He  would  leave  it  for  a  while — take  a  trip  by  sea — 
breathe  the  salty  air  of  ocean,  and  mingle  in  the  simple  life 
of  the  sailor.  A  client  told  him  of  the  unusual  route  of  the 
Wenonah:  he  engaged  passage  at  once,  left  New  York  by 
steamer  for  Colon,  crossed  the  Isthmus  by  rail,  and  took 
a  coast  steamer  at  Panama  to  join  the  ship  at  Callao. 
Alas  for  cherished  hopes! — he  had  not  been  on  the  Wen- 
onah a  week  when  his  practiced  eye  discovered  among 
the  guileless  sailors  the  most  despicable  of  all  traits — 
disloyalty  to  a  superior ,  spread  in  full  leaf  and  thorn 
throughout  the  ship. 

When  Mr.  Northrup  entered  on  this  voyage,  he  was  more 


104     r*  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

than  fifty  years  of  age — in  the  prime  of  manhood :  he  was 
of  medium  height,  and  his  figure  and  movements  con- 
veyed the  idea  of  strength  of  mind  and  strength  of  body. 
He  had  the  habit  of  directing  his  faculties  toward  the 
comprehension  of  any  subject  that  interested  him;  and  as 
complementary  to  it,  a  practice  of  looking  at  matters  from 
different  points  of  view  before  forming  an  opinion.  He 
had  an  established  reputation  and  independent  means — 
a  typical  solid  man  of  the  community;  who  voted  for  the 
candidate  or  with  a  party,  only  after  close  scrutiny  of  both. 
He  was  decidedly  one  who  thought  for  himself  and  ac- 
cepted ready-made  opinions  from  no  one;  and  withal, 
his  endeavor  was  to  make  the  best  of  every  situation — 
to  give  and  take  as  he  found  life;  to  be  genial,  tactful, 
generous,  and  companionable. 

He  was  a  most  agreeable  addition  to  the  little  band  on 
the  Wenonah;  and  eventually  when  need  arose  for  a 
knight  errant  to  poise  his  lance,  we  shall  find  that  he  did 
it  with  skill  and  courage. 


CHAPTER  VII 

TRAITS  OF  SAILOR  CHARACTER 

THE  government  of  a  ship-of-war,  whatever  the  flag  at 
her  peak — whether  the  blue  diagonals  of  Russian  absolu- 
tism, the  black  cross  and  eagles  of  German  imperialism, 
or  the  red-white-and-blue  of  American  and  French 
republicanism — is  always  a  constitutional  monarchy,  with 
more  or  less  of  the  spirit  of  autocracy  actuating  the  man  in 
command ;  and  the  government  of  a  merchant  vessel  is  not 
much  different  in  essential  features. 

For  the  guidance  and  control  of  him  who  commands 
at  sea,  special  laws  are  enacted  by  the  legislative  body  of 
his  country;  these  are  supplemented,  for  the  military 
branch,  by  Regulations  covering  almost  every  possible 
contingency;  and  for  the  mercantile  marine,  by  a  variety 
of  Rules. 

But  there  is  a  more  potent  power  than  either  law  or  rule 
— the  Custom  of  tJie  Service:  though  not  defined  by  words 
nor  printed  in  statute  books,  it  is  more  immutable  than 
either;  for  it  is  the  product  of  evolution  through  many 
years — a  course  of  action  in  accord  with  the  inherent 
fitness  of  things;  and  no  man  can  disregard  it  with  im- 
punity. Like  the  sap  flowing  through  root,  trunk,  and 
branch  of  a  tree,  it  permeates  every  situation  of  nautical 
life,  giving  it  vigor  and  stability:  it  is  woven  into  the  fibre 
of  the  sailor;  and  the  careful  observance  of  it  will,  in  the 
main,  make  of  him  a  contented  man  and  good  worker; 

105 


106  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

but  more  than  all,  it  will  tend  to  deprive  him  of  that  pro- 
lific source  of  disturbance — a  grievance. 

Let  no  one  scoff  at,  or  think  lightly  of,  a  sailor's 
grievance;  for  be  it  great  or  small,  a  grievance  is  gen- 
erally born  of  injustice. 

Injustice!  the  word  maddens — it  makes  the  blood  hot 
and  the  heart  thump:  it  blanches  the  face,  parches  the 
lips,  and  one  cannot  speak — the  words  stumble  on  each 
other.  The  person  who  maliciously  plans  and  executes 
a  grievous  injustice  on  another,  has  in  him  much  of  the 
demon:  he  has  his  day  now — he  can  gloat  over  wrecking  a 
human  life;  but  there  is  a  HeaVen,  there  is  a  Hell,  and  there 
is  a  God ;  and  as  it  is  written :  "  Be  not  deceived,  God  is 
not  mocked;  for  what  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  reap 
also" — this  unjust  man  shall  one  day  stand  before  that 
just  God,  and  be  judged. 

Laws,  Regulations,  and  Customs  are  the  safeguards  of 
the  sailor — the  fly-wheels  to  unify  erratic  motions  of  the 
human  machine  at  sea;  but  they  cannot  prevent  grit  getting 
into  the  parts,  causing  jars,  hot  journals,  even  stoppage 
of  the  whole  mechanism:  whence  courts-martial,  consular 
enquiries,  and  other  means  of  righting  sea-faring  wrongs. 

Aside  from  all  this,  there  is  much  of  paternalism  in  the 
government  of  a  ship.  Jack  is  careless  of  himself  and  his 
belongings.  If  soaked  to  the  skin  in  a  storm,  he  will 
steam  in  the  clinging  shirt — run  the  risk  of  a  hacking 
cough  or  pneumonia,  rather  than  change  his  clothing:  he 
must  be  sent  below  to  shift — he  takes  pleasure  in  needless 
exposure,  just  like  a  boy.  In  money  matters  he  is  pro- 
verbially at  the  mercy  of  any  one  he  deals  with,  and  in- 
variably gets  the  worst  of  the  bargain — a  bauble  for  hard 
earned  pay. 


TRAITS  OF  SAILOR  CHARACTER  107 

Even  in  his  good  impulses,  the  sailor  is  often  deceived: 
let  some  one  come  on  board  with  a  harrowing  tale  of  want 
(fictitious  as  it  often  is),  and  Jack  will  never  enquire  into 
its  merits,  but  consent  to  have  the  amount  he  gives,  charged 
to  his  account. 

These  collections  on  board  ship  are  a  vicious  method 
of  raising  money.  The  list  is  passed  round,  and  bold  is 
the  man  who  would  say :  "  I  will  give  nothing. "  He  is  in  a 
community  that  stigmatizes  such  refusal  as  mean;  and  few 
can  live  every  day  on  the  most  intimate  terms  with  those 
who  entertain  that  opinion.  Those  who  give  are  not 
always  actuated  by  charity — their  mite  hardly  merits 
record  on  the  page  where  the  worm  may  not  gnaw  it :  they 
often  give  because  some  one  else  gives,  or  several  give — 
they  follow  the  bell-wether;  they  have  not  the  moral 
courage  to  say  no,  or  ask  if  the  object  be  a  worthy  one. 
Their  convictions — if  they  think  at  all — may  be  opposed 
to  their  act;  but  they  are  intimidated:  there  is  no  more 
prolific  breeder  of  moral  cowardice  than  unthinking 
communities;  and  of  these,  the  ship's  company  is  among 
the  worst. 

Another  trait  of  the  sailor  that  requires  a  watching  eye- 
he  will  barter  his  clothes  for  a  drink  of  whiskey;  and  the 
profit  made  in  the  trade  would  enrich  any  dealer  if  he  had 
enough  of  it.  And  again:  his  cleanliness  of  clothes  and 
person  becomes  habitual  only  by  the  daily  inspection  and 
periodic  caution  to  remedy  some  slip  or  omission — just  as 
with  growing  youth  in  the  home. 

Indeed,  the  ship's  company  is  much  like  a  family;  and 
the  head  of  either  who  should  fail  to  direct,  watch  over, 
and  care  for  those  under  his  control  in  the  manner  that  his 
superior  knowledge,  experience,  and  capacity  enable  him 


108      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

to  do,  is  clearly  wanting  in  one  of  the  essential  duties  of  his 
position. 

But  the  father  of  a  family  has  advantages  for  rearing  his 
offspring  that  the  Captain  of  a  ship  has  not  for  intelli- 
gently commanding  his  crew.  The  father  meets  his 
children  at  table,  sometimes  romps  and  plays  with  them, 
and  is  ever  answering  their  little  questions — all,  means  to 
make  him  familiar  with  their  temperament,  wants,  and 
tendencies;  and  he  can  shape  his  own  action  toward  each 
according  to  its  idiosyncrasies — avoid  even  the  suggestion 
of  a  prod  toward  the  sensitive  and  high  spirited,  while 
urging  the  slow  and  indolent  to  exertion.  But  the  Custom 
of  the  Service  restrains  the  commanding  officer  from  min- 
gling with  his  subordinates :  like  a  grandee  of  Spain,  he  is 
hedged  round  by  customs  which  limit  his  knowledge  to 
observation  from  the  quarter  deck  and  inference  from 
what  he  sees.  It  were  beneath  his  position — undignified, 
to  have  closer  intercourse ! 

In  days  of  yore,  the  oriental  potentate  secluded  himself 
from  public  gaze  in  order  to  inspire  his  people  with  that 
awe  which  accompanies  the  invisible:  and  so  must  the 
captain  of  a  ship  maintain  a  strict  reserve  that  will  impress 
those  he  commands.  Even  more:  the  barbaric  ruler 
trapped  himself  out  in  showy  ornaments,  practiced  pose 
and  deliberation  of  speech  and  manner,  and  affected  a 
general  pomposity  of  bearing — all  to  increase  the  rever- 
ence of  his  subjects  for  both  his  person  and  his  behests: 
and  something  akin  to  this  is  not  wanting  in  the  com- 
mander at  sea,  to  give  greater  weight  to  his  authority. 
True,  the  means  he  employs  may  be  wholly  different;  but 
the  object  to  be  attained  is  the  same.  Furthermore,  he 
has  to  live  somewhat  the  life  of  a  recluse — consulting  no 


TRAITS  or  SAILOR  CHARACTER  109 

one  as  to  his  actions — open  to  no  sympathy  in  disaster — 
inviting  no  congratulations  in  success:  to  do  so  would  be 
a  sign  of  weakness ;  and  he  must  ever  be  the  strong  man — 
the  one  to  command  in  all  cases — stolid  as  a  statue  under 
trying  circumstances — ready  in  every  crisis  with  the  line 
of  action  to  be  carried  out.  To  the  extent  he  is  all  this — 
to  that  extent  will  he  have  the  confidence  and  obedience 
of  his  crew:  his  every  move  is  open  to  their  scrutiny — 
they  are  quick  to  perceive  and  competent  to  judge;  and 
woe  betide  him  if  his  seamanship  be  at  fault,  or  his  decision 
lagging.  The  pharmacist  is  not  more  quick  to  detect  a 
mistake  in  the  physician's  prescription,  than  is  the  common 
sailor  to  see  bungling  in  the  management  of  a  ship. 

And  yet  the  Captain  must  govern  and  wield  this  com- 
munity so  that  he  can  depend  upon  it  in  the  hour  of  need, 
while  not  contravening  those  traits  that  run  like  veins 
through  all  humanity:  but  what,  in  reality,  does  he  know 
of  his  crew — of  the  temperaments  and  prejudices  of 
individual  men  ?  Little  more  than  what  his  middle  man — 
the  Mate — chooses  to  tell  him !  And  if,  instead  of  convey- 
ing the  requisite  information  honestly,  he  gives  it  the  turn 
of  a  vicious  tongue,  intent  upon  misrepresenting  to  further 
his  own  scheme,  what  a  situation  that  Captain  is  in! 

The  Mate  has  intimate  relations  with  the  crew:  he  has 
the  means  of  knowing  every  man  to  the  core,  and  if  he  is 
loyal  and  truthful,  he  can  enable  the  Captain  to  deal 
intelligently  and  fairly  with  all.  But  if  he  be  deceitful  and 
devoid  of  principle,  it  does  not  need  a  vivid  imagination  to 
picture  the  mischief  he  can  create — discontent  among  the 
crew,  false  views  in  the  Captain,  hostility  and  ill-will  in 
both.  Such  a  mate  is  the  analogue  of  the  unjust  man, 
and  he  too  will  eventually  reap  as  he  has  sown. 


110      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

The  Captain  of  the  Wenonah  found  what  every  man 
finds  who  tries  to  overcome  laxity  and  negligence  in  a 
situation  to  which  he  falls  heir — antagonism  and  animosity: 
knowing  this,  his  thought  was  how  to  deal  with  it;  firmly, 
of  course — with  tenacity  to  the  line  of  action  he  should 
lay  down,  but  also  with  justice  and  tact. 

Although  Colburn  had  been  in  command  only  a  few 
weeks,  still  we  have  seen  that  he  obtained  some  insight 
into  the  condition  of  affairs ;  and  we  have  also  seen  the  first 
step  he  took  toward  dealing  with  it.  He  was  a  man  who 
never  avoided  work  or  responsibility;  but  was  painstaking 
in  the  performance  of  every  duty,  and  thought  out  his 
course  in  regard  to  it. 

Some  men  rise  from  the  forecastle  to  the  quarter-deck, 
and  all  their  professional  knowledge  is  acquired  in  much 
the  same  way  that  the  trained  dog  gets  his  little  tricks — 
by  practise:  others  there  are  who  supplement  experience 
by  thought  and  study;  and  to  this  class  Colburn  belonged. 
That  such  a  man  could  act  a  secondary  part  to  his  First 
Mate — as  old  Rowley  did — was  impossible.  He  was 
entirely  willing  to  let  the  Mate  have  the  fullest  freedom 
in  his  own  sphere,  but  Hawse  was  not  content  with  this: 
his  qualities  were  not  those  of  a  submissive  subordinate, 
but  of  a  domineering  master;  hence  the  clash — a  sub- 
current  more  powerful  than  any  foaming  wave:  on  the 
part  of  the  Captain,  to  exercise  what  was  his  right — 
command;  on  the  part  of  the  Mate,  to  keep  what  he  got 
by  craft — independent  action. 

Colburn  had  some  original  ideas  for  the  improvement 
of  the  common  sailor:  he  did  not  see,  for  instance,  why, 
by  persistent  effort,  the  seaman  should  not  be  transformed 
from  the  reckless  drunkard  he  often  was,  into  a  self 


TRAITS  OF  SAILOR  CHARACTER  111 

respecting  man — full  of  dash  and  boldness,  if  you  will, 
as  befitting  his  occupation;  but  still  imbued  with  feelings 
of  manliness.  He  wanted  to  make  him  hang  his  head  in 
shame  for  the  besotted  brawl  which  stranded  him  in  some 
filthy  gutter,  rather  than  take  pride  in  recounting  the 
degradation  to  others  whose  ambition  it  was  to  imitate  him. 

The  sailor's  proverbial  growl  was  harmless,  but  he 
wanted  him  to  meet  hardship  in  a  manly  way,  and  not  be 
eternally  spreading  discontent  among  the  younger  men  by 
harping  on  his  troubles.  The  sailor's  was  a  life  that 
brought  out  all  the  hardy,  self-reliant  qualities  in  man ;  and 
he  wanted  these  to  stand  forth  in  bold  relief,  clear  of  the 
slime  of  the  brothel  and  saloon.  The  dream  was  a  noble 
one,  and  he  intended  contributing  his  mite  toward  its 
realization.  It  was  for  this  that  he  put  the  crew  in  uniform 
instead  of  letting  them  remain  the  piratical  looking  rabble 
they  were  on  first  coming  aboard.  The  sailor  often  takes 
delight  in  vagabond  clothes:  a  slouch  hat,  broken  and 
tilted  at  any  angle  over  his  head;  trousers  with  one  leg 
long  and  baggy  over  his  foot,  and  the  other  tucked  awry 
into  his  boot  top;  no  neckerchief;  and  colors  of  every  hue — 
this  is  the  rig  in  which  he  revels :  it  is  a  sop  to  his  freedom 
of  action. 

But  looseness  of  dress  is  near  kin  to  looseness  of  man- 
ners— to  looseness  of  conduct  and  morals — to  lapses  in 
respect  for  others  as  well  as  for  oneself. 

It  was  to  insert  a  second  round  in  the  ladder  of  ascent, 
that  Colburn  had  the  daily  inspection  of  the  crew,  as  al- 
ready related;  and  it  was  to  add  higher  steps  still  that,  as 
days  progressed,  he  introduced  other  measures  for  their 
improvement. 

There  is  an  innate  stand-off  on  the  part  of  the  officers 


112      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  men  toward  a  new  commanding  officer.  If  the  faults 
of  the  old  one  be  not  too  deeply  rooted,  they  are  soon  torn 
out  of  memory,  and  only  his  good  qualities  remembered; 
and  these  are  soon  glorified  by  a  periodic  sigh  for  the  good 
old  times  of  the  former  captain :  it  is  the  tribute  humanity 
pays  to  a  condition  to  which  it  has  become  accustomed — 
the  facility  of  intercourse  brought  about  by  daily  contact, 
whereby  the  roughest  parts  are  worn  away  and  there  is  no 
longer  the  continual  jar  and  friction  as  at  first.  We  are 
much  more  disposed  to  run  in  ruts — to  be  upholders  of 
the  established  order,  whatever  phase  of  activity  that  order 
takes,  than  those  will  admit  who  are  forever  extolling  the 
variations  of  man's  endeavor. 

The  good  old  times  have  been  recurring  in  unbroken 
series  ever  since  the  world  began:  rascals  there  have  been 
without  number,  yet  how  few  are  so  stigmatized  in  their 
epitaphs!  And  heroes  always  shine  with  virtues  and 
abilities  undimmed  by  the  defects  we  know  common  to  all 
men.  Some  may  have  had  greater  talents  and  more 
virtues  than  others,  but  they  were  made  of  the  same  clay 
as  ourselves  and  streaked  with  the  same  weakness.  No, 
the  bad  is  generally  forgotten,  and  the  good  alone  remains. 
In  the  main,  this  is  beneficial  to  man;  but  in  particular 
cases  it  works  a  hardship — an  unjust  prejudice  toward  the 
new  order. 

No  one  can  doubt  that  in  performing  those  duties  that 
were  properly  his,  and  in  introducing  measures  for  the 
moral  and  physical  improvement  of  his  crew,  Captain  Col- 
burn  did  what  any  conscientious  and  intelligent  man  would 
do:  yet  his  action  created  a  deep  feeling  of  discontent  in 
the  ship — a  rich  mine  for  the  Mate  to  work;  and  he  worked 
it  with  such  skill  and  assiduity  that  by  the  time  the  ship 


TRAITS  OF  SAILOR  CHARACTER  113 

reached  Callao,  there  was  a  cauldron  of  animosity  seeth- 
ing beneath  the  commanding  officer.  Only  its  sputterings, 
however,  came  to  his  view — the  untidiness  of  the  crew's 
quarters,  the  slovenliness  of  their  dress,  the  shaggy  hair  and 
face  full  of  short  stubble:  all  these  appeared;  but  the  Cap- 
tain never  saw  the  sneer — the  derisive  gesture  with  which 
his  orders  were  conveyed  to  the  men,  and  which  bred  more 
contempt  than  open  ridicule. 

Not  that  outspoken  ridicule  was  wanting  either. 

Those  two  boon  companions,  Hawse  and  Ruggles,  were 
forever  on  the  to 'gallant  forecastle — walking,  smoking, 
talking;  their  voices  raised  so  as  to  be  heard  by  the  men 
within  reach.  Their  conversation  was  mostly  about  the 
Captain,  but  neither  by  name  nor  title  did  they  ever 
mention  him — they  were  far  too  cunning  to  lapse  into  any 
such  error:  they  resorted  to  what  is  frequent  on  board  ship 
— they  gave  him  a  nickname. 

Now,  Colburn  had  no  personal  attribute  of  a  ludicrous 
nature,  and  so  they  were  in  despair  for  an  epithet,  when  the 
apparently  endearing  word  "  Collie"  shot  across  their 
minds :  instantly,  they  seized  upon  it,  and  ever  after  ranged 
through  every  canine  breed  to  gratify  their  spleen.  The 
drift  of  the  conversation  clearly  indicated  who  was  meant, 
and  whether  one  species  of  dog  or  another  was  named,  the 
Captain  was  always  the  individual  stigmatized. 

One  should  think  that  grown  men,  engaged  in  the  hard 
struggle  with  wind  and  wave,  would  be  above  such  puerili- 
ties ;  but  no :  there  are  childish  veins  in  those  who  follow  the 
sea  that  find  a  counterpart  only  among  school  boys — and 
the  giving  of  nicknames  is  one  of  these. 

The  nickname  is  the  meanest  of  all  weapons:  the 
stealthy  stiletto-stab  is  open  warfare  beside  it.  The 


114      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

attack  by  nickname  cannot  be  parried,  nor  met  by  courter 
thrust:  the  viper  that  concocts  it,  has  fastened  the  laugh 
on  his  victim — made  him  ridiculous — humiliated  him  in 
the  eyes  of  his  companions — stung  him  in  his  dignity — 
assailed  his  self-respect — and  blighted  his  reputation; 
and  the  jeering  laugh  will  resound  with  every  repetition  of 
the  contemptuous  epithet,  even  though  the  one  who  utters 
it  has  a  mind  as  vacuous  as  a  parrot. 

Closely  allied  to  the  nickname  habit — equally  despic- 
able, and  also  the  product  of  herding  human  beings  to- 
gether— are  two  other  practises:  one,  that  of  the  many  to 
run  some  member  of  the  community;  and  the  other,  that 
of  a  small  minority  to  lord  it  over  the  others.  This  turbu- 
lent, aggressive  minority  is  like  the  single  bull-dog  that 
has  only  to  snarl,  to  keep  a  whole  pack  of  spaniels  in  sub- 
jection. And  while  the  snarling  bull-dog  is  not  an  ex- 
ample to  be  recommended,  still  a  show  of  teeth  is  often 
a  good  check  to  the  mere  bully — he  is  essentially  a  coward. 

If  a  person  is  by  nature  timid  and  sensitive,  it  is  especially 
incumbent  on  him  to  spur  himself  to  the  contest  for  his 
rights  and  self-respect — to  be  morally  courageous:  it  is 
in  the  struggle  of  the  faculties  that  character  is  developed 
and  formed — not  in  their  somnolent  ease. 

In  every  ship's  company  there  is  somebody  who  can  be 
run — made  a  butt  of — a  laughing  stock :  of  such  a  weakling, 
it  can  only  be  said  that  he  deserves  pity  and  compassion; 
but  he  is  scarcely  more  weak  than  those  who  find  amuse- 
ment in  his  foibles. 

But  again:  the  object  of  attack  may  be  a  man  of  fine 
fibre;  yet,  because  of  reserve,  or  some  other  trait  that  stirs 
up  the  antagonism  of  the  bully  (who  will  bluster  on  any 
irritant  to  his  bile),  he  is  covertly  assailed  by  this  bully  and 


TRAITS  OF  SAILOR  CHARACTER  115 

his  followers — a  gang  ever  ready  to  echo  his  gibes  and 
ribaldries.  Petty  annoyances  from  such  a  source  are  hard 
to  meet  and  resent ;  they  are  intangible ;  you  strike  at  them 
and  meet  nothing — they  are  the  yelps  of  lap-dogs  at  a 
chained  mastiff.  And  yet  they  worry — just  as  in  the 
fable,  the  stings  of  the  gad-fly  tortured  the  noble  lion. 

The  intimate  relations  aboard  ship,  whether  in  fore- 
castle or  wardroom,  bring  out  all  the  gad-fly  spirit  in  man : 
it  tortures  and  maddens  the  sensitive  person  who  has 
to  live  in  its  midst :  he  cannot  get  away  from  it — he  has  to 
eat  with  it — sleep  beside  it — work  jointly  with  it — and  have 
it  in  view  even  during  relaxation.  It  is  his  worm  that 
dieth  not,  and  his  fire  that  is  not  extinguished. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
"Run  DONE  IT!" 

WHO  hath  woe?  Whose  father  hath  woe? 
Who  hath  contentions?  Who  falls  into  pits? 
Who  hath  wounds  without  cause?  Who  hath 
redness  of  eyes  ?  Surely  they  that  pass  their  time 
in  wine,  and  study  to  drink  off  their  cups.  Look 
not  upon  the  wine  when  it  is  yellow,  when  the  col- 
or thereof  shineth  in  the  glass:  it  goeth  in  pleas- 
antly; but  in  the  end,  it  will  bite  like  a  snake,  and 
will  spread  abroad  poison  like  a  basilisk. — Old 
Testament. 

Soon  after  the  Wenonah  came  to  anchor  at  Callao,  Mr. 
Northrup  went  on  board  and  introduced  himself  to  the  Cap- 
tain :  he,  in  turn,  introduced  him  to  the  passengers,  showed 
him  his  stateroom,  and  as  a  means  of  breaking  the  ice  that 
naturally  surrounds  strangers,  and  opening  the  flow  of 
cordiality  that  it  was  desirable  to  establish,  ordered  wine 
and  cigars  to  be  brought  into  the  cabin.  These  aids  to 
good  feeling  and  companionship  had  the  desired  effect,  and 
before  an  hour  elapsed,  the  skirmish  line  of  chit-chat  gave 
to  each  an  inkling  of  the  other's  personality:  all  the  old 
party  were  openhearted  toward  the  new  comer,  and  he 
was  toward  them.  Thus,  the  outworks  of  mutual  accept- 
ability being  carried,  the  Captain  announced  that  for  a 
week  or  so  (while  discharging  cargo  and  taking  on  more, 
as  well  as  refitting  the  ship),  she  would  not  be  very  habit- 

116 


"RuM  DONE  IT!"  117 

able;  and  he  advised  that  the  passengers  take  up  their 
abode  ashore  and  enjoy  themselves  in  trips  to  surrounding 
places  of  interest:  when  they  came  on  board  again,  they 
would  find  everything  settled  and  the  ship  clean  and 
newly  painted. 

The  suggestion  pleased  them — trunks  were  quickly 
packed,  and  in  the  afternoon  all  moved  to  Lima. 

The  Captain  being  now  alone  with  his  command,  set 
about  establishing  port  routine;  and  in  order  that  all 
should  know  what  was  to  be  done,  he  first  sent  for  the 
mates  and  informed  them  that  the  Second  and  Third 
Mates  should  take  alternate  days  on  duty  from  the  time  of 
calling  all  hands  in  the  morning  until  pipe  down  at  night; 
and  that  the  First  Mate  was  to  exercise  supervision  at  all 
times:  their  going  ashore  for  enjoyment  could  be  done 
whenever  the  work  allowed  it.  He  then  directed  Mr. 
Hawse  to  have  the  crew  sent  aft  on  the  quarter-deck. 

When  there,  he  said :  "  I  have  called  you  aft  to  let  you 
know  the  work  to  be  done  in  this  port.  Some  cargo  will 
be  discharged  and  more  taken  on.  When  that  is  done,  we 
shall  fill  the  bunkers,  set  up  rigging,  tar  down,  and  paint 
ship.  All  this  will  take  some  days,  and  I  intend  to  give 
you  a  run  on  shore  during  that  time.  A  dozen  of  you  will 
be  allowed  to  go  every  evening  at  sunset,  to  stay  until 
seven  the  following  morning.  If  we  are  here  two  Sundays, 
as  seems  likely,  each  watch  in  turn  can  have  from  Satur- 
day noon  until  Monday  morning  ashore.  You  can  wear 
either  uniform  or  plain  clothes,  as  you  please.  You  will  be 
set  ashore  in  one  of  the  ship's  boats,  and  it  will  be  sent  for 
you,  which  will  save  your  paying  for  shore  boats.  I  expect 
you  to  come  off  on  time,  sober,  and  fit  for  work.  If  you 
fail  in  this,  or  behave  badly,  I  shall  keep  those  that  do  so, 


118      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

on  board.  You  will  get  a  part  of  your  pay,  and  I  want 
you  to  act  sensibly.  Some  of  you  will  drink  to  some  ex- 
tent, I  suppose;  but  I  hope  none  will  get  drunk:  a  glass  or 
two  affords  all  the  light  feeling  that  is  enjoyable;  but  to  get 
drunk  and  dirty  and  lie  in  the  gutter,  or  be  arrested  and 
put  in  jail,  or  get  into  a  fight  with  other  sailors — that  is 
only  to  let  the  animal  in  you  get  control.  It  is  degrading, 
and  there  is  no  pleasure  in  it.  I  want  to  break  up  that 
practice.  If  you  act  like  men,  I  will  treat  you  as  men — 
giving  the  liberty  and  money  I  have  stated.  That  is  all. 
Pipe  down^  Mr.  Hawse."  The  Mate  repeated  the  order 
to  the  Boatswain,  and  the  men  went  forward — buoyant 
with  the  expectation  of  a  good  time. 

They  gathered  around  a  hatch  where  tackles  were  to  be 
rigged  for  handling  cargo:  the  First  Mate  and  Snively 
(the  Third  Mate)  came  immediately  to  direct  the  work; 
and  while  it  was  going  on,  they  kept  up  a  running  conversa- 
tion which  might  be  summarized  as  follows: 

The  First  Mate  said:  "Well  Snively,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  to-morrow  with  your  day  off  ?" 

"O,  I  guess  I'll  have  a  bang  up  time — get  drunk,  I 
suppose;  haven't  had  a  run,  you  know,  for  some  weeks, 
Mr.  Hawse." 

"What!  go  by  the  board  so  soon  after  the  lecture  you 
just  heard!" 

"  Yes,  he  aint  going  to  get  me  to  join  any  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association" — 

"Nor  make  a  saint  of  you  for  the  Roman  Calendar — 
eh?"  interrupted  Hawse,  chuckling. 

"No,  nor  that  neither:  I  want  no  new  f angled  ideas — 
good  old  way  is  good  enough  for  me." 

"I  don't  know  but  you're  right,  Snively.     When  I  was 


"Run  DONE  IT!"  119 

before  the  mast,  we  used  get  our  shore  liberty  by  watches — 
forty-eight  hours  each  watch — a  lot  of  us  go  together — 
get  horses  or  donkeys — ride  like  hell  round  town — be 
taken  up  by  the  police ;  that  is,  they  tried  to  do  it,  but  often 
we  were  too  many  for  them — had  a  fight — some  of  us  were 
nab*bed  and  put  in  jail — more  licked  the  police — then  at 
night  we  all  got  roaring  drunk  and  slept  it  off  in  a — : 
the  next  day  we  straggled  aboard  with  sore  heads,  teeth 
knocked  out,  and  black  eyes;  but  we  had  a  bully  time! 

"Telling  of  it  afterwards  gave  us  pleasure  for  many 
weeks.  Those  were  the  good  old  times!  No  uniform 
then!  I  remember  one  jollification  in  Rio  years  ago:  the 
little  dago  policemen  couldn't  handle  us  at  all;  we  got  into 
a  saloon  and  smashed  the  whole  outfit — chairs,  tables, 
decanters,  glasses — but  no  bottles,  you  bet;  we  emptied 
them  down  our  throats :  when  we  had  enough,  we  called  the 
landlord  in  and  asked  him  the  damages;  he  said  some  mil- 
lions of  milreis — I  forget  how  many — but  we  all  chipped 
in  and  paid  him:  he  was  happy,  and  we  had  a  good  time. 
But,  really,  you  know,  Snively,  that  is  degrading — it  lets 
loose  the  animal  in  us." 

"  Yes :  well,  I  guess  I  want  to  take  the  halter  off  mine  for 
a  while  and  let  him  loose,"  replied  the  Snively;  and  if 
many  others  present  did  not  say  the  same,  they  none  the 
less  thought  it.  Such  were  the  brutal  appetites  Colburn 
hoped  to  reform  J 

While  listening  to  the  Captain,  there  was  a  momentary 
ascendency  of  their  better  instincts;  but  the  shreds  of  talk 
between  the  Mates  put  this  quickly  to  flight,  and  made 
them  eager  for  the  free  rein  and  downward  course. 

That  evening  a  dozen  of  them  cleaned  up  and  dressed 
for  liberty,  and — strange  to  relate!  all  chose  to  go  in 


120      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

uniform:  when  they  lined  up  on  the  quarter-deck  to  be 
inspected  (which,  by  the  way,  they  seemed  in  no  wise  loth 
to  do — they  looked  so  well),  no  party  from  the  Adirondack 
lying  ahead  of  them  could  have  presented  a  neater  appear- 
ance. They  looked  trim  and  stalwart,  and  with  their  cap 
ribbons  bearing  the  name  Wenonah  in  gilt  letters,  they 
might  readily  pass  for  men  o'  warsmen:  they  felt  proud  of 
both  ship  and  uniform. 

Such  is  the  sailor — pleased  with  what  strikes  his  fancy, 
and  as  whimsical  as  the  variable  airs  that  often  baffle  his 
efforts  to  make  a  port!  No  reasoning — no  tenacity  to  any 
line  of  conduct;  but  all  childlike,  momentary  gratification. 
Their  ship's  boat  looked  well,  too;  and  as  it  pulled  in 
toward  the  landing,  a  boat  from  the  Adirondack,  full  of 
liberty  men,  passed  them,  and  they  felt  they  lost  nothing 
by  comparison  of  either  boat  or  men. 

The  Adirondack  had  been  in  port  a  long  time — her 
crew  had  had  daily  liberty,  and  so  the  delights  of  shore  had 
become  familiar — even  palled  on  them :  besides,  they  were 
accustomed  to  amusement  and  different  duties  and  em- 
ployment on  board;  and  the  natural  craving  for  variety 
being  thus  satisfied,  they  were,  for  the  most  part,  dis- 
posed to  take  their  liberty  easily  and  enjoy  it  rationally. 

The  Wenonah's  crew,  on  the  other  hand,  had  been 
cooped  up  for  weeks — going  daily  through  the  same  routine 
— seeing  only  the  same  few  faces — hearing  only  the  same 
voices — listening  to  much  the  same  orders :  it  was  monot- 
ony in  the  extreme  compared  with  life  on  the  war  ship — 
the  check  rein  and  narrow  stall,  without  ever  an  open  field 
for  free  curvetting;  and  is  it  any  wonder  that  when  they 
jumped  ashore  they  tore  off  bit  and  bridle  and  made  a  wild 
dash  for  the  grog  shop,  the  billiard  room,  and  the  concert 


"Run  DONE  IT!"  121 

hall? — everything  that  afforded  what  they  could  not  get 
on  board.  Yes,  the  animal  was  loose,  and  a  wild  night  he 
made  of  it ! 

Let  those  who  can  alternate  enjoyment  with  labor  at 
will — satisfy  each  craving  in  its  turn,  experience  what  the 
sailor  does  on  a  long  tedious  passage — weary  days  of  hard 
work  and  deprivation,  with  no  respite;  but  work,  work, 
work,  and  no  adequate  pleasure;  and  he  will  find  that  the 
desire  for  this  pleasure  will  eventually  reach  such  head,  that 
when  the  opportunity  offers,  it  will  burst  and  overflow  all 
ordinary  bounds. 

Jack's  explosion  is  rough,  like  the  blowing  out  of  a  man- 
hole plate  by  accumulated  gas;  while  the  expansion  of  a 
refined  nature  may  be  gradual,  like  the  effervescence  of 
champagne :  but  both  are  due  to  the  same  cause — restriction 
of  natural  tendencies — unequal  distribution  of  work  and 
play;  and  neither  of  these  can  be  long  continued  by  itself 
without  detriment  to  the  individual.  This  is  not  said  in 
excuse  of  the  sailor's  extravagance,  but  in  explanation  of 
it;  and  also  as  a  hint  to  those  who  have  him  in  hand,  and 
who  may  not  realize  the  necessity  of  affording  vent  for  his 
natural  longings,  to  the  extent  the  conditions  will  allow. 
Alternation,  variety,  change — work  and  amusement  ra- 
tionally mingled — these  are  potent  means  for  keeping  a 
ship's  company  happy. 

Morning  came,  and  with  it  the  boat  at  seven  o'clock  for 
the  men:  all  but  two  were  there,  and  went  aboard.  The 
Mate  on  duty  had  them  form  a  line  on  the  quarter-deck 
for  inspection,  but  what  a  wabbly  line  it  was! — bowing 
forward,  falling  backward,  bending  sideways:  a  dirty  line — 
some  with  caps  gone;  others  without  neckerchiefs;  many 
blear-eyed  and  drowsy;  and  all  covered  with  the  signs  of  a 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


debauch.  It  was  a  pitiable  contrast  with  the  same  line 
the  evening  before  !  The  Captain  viewed  it  sadly  from  the 
break  of  the  poop,  but  was  not  much  disappointed:  he 
knew  the  sailor's  cravings,  temptations,  and  want  of 
restraint;  so  he  simply  told  the  Mate  to  let  the  men  go 
forward  and  wash  themselves  and  get  breakfast,  ready  for 
work.  Toward  noon,  the  two  absentees  were  brought 
aboard  by  a  policeman:  they  had  been  in  jail  all  night, 
after  a  row  in  which  their  uniforms  had  disappeared  and 
been  replaced  by  a  dirty  tattered  garb. 

All  day  the  work  of  discharging  cargo  went  on  —  but 
slowly:  some  of  the  liberty  men  lay  down  and  could  not  be 
roused  —  it  was  the  stupor  that  generally  follows  a  carousal  ; 
others  manned  the  tackles,  and  more  carried  packages; 
but  all  with  such  want  of  grip  that  they  were  of  little  use: 
their  legs  were  unsteady,  their  hands  could  not  hold,  and 
with  drooping  head  and  half  closed  eyes,  they  stumbled 
about  —  objects  of  gibes  and  laughter  for  the  rest  of  the 
crew. 

Toward  evening,  the  First  Mate  asked  the  Captain  if  he 
should  let  a  second  batch  go  ashore. 

"Yes,"  was  the  answer:  "we  will  try  them  all  in  turn; 
no  man  shall  have  the  grievance  of  being  kept  on  board 
because  of  another's  bad  behavior;  each  will  be  dealt  with 
according  to  his  own  conduct.  I  think  when  this  first  run 
is  over,  we  shall  have  had  the  worst  of  the  drinking.  Those 
two  men  that  were  in  jail  can  not  go  with  their  party  when 
it  goes  again;  and  in  fact  I  will  go  over  the  list  of  each 
night's  liberty  with  you,  and  we  will  determine  from  their 
conduct  ashore,  their  promptness  in  coming  off,  and  their 
work  aboard,  who  can  go,  after  all  have  had  their  turn." 

The  second  party  went  and  came  —  with  much  the  same 


"RuM  DONE  IT!"  123 

result  as  with  the  first  party;  only, that  four  overstayed  of 
their  own  free  will  until  late  in  the  afternoon:  the  third 
party  had  similar  delinquencies  in  both  drunkenness  and 
overstaying:  while  the  fourth  and  last  party,  whether 
because  of  the  cumulative  bad  example  of  those  preceding, 
or  of  the  greater  delay  in  getting  liberty,  fell  entirely  into  the 
pitfalls  of  the  sailor.  Not  half  of  them  came  off  on  time, 
some  were  lodged  in  jail  for  brutal  assaults  on  people 
ashore,  and  all  were  soaked  with  vile  rum. 

A  week  passed:  the  men  became  sore-heads,  and  acted 
so  badly  that  now  only  about  a  third  of  them  had  the 
privilege  of  evening  liberty. 

Work  on  the  cargo  lagged,  both  from  the  sulkiness  of  the 
men  and  the  mafiana  trait  of  the  people  ashore  in  supply- 
ing merchandise.  What  the  Captain  expected  to  have 
done  in  four  days  was  still  unfinished  at  the  end  of  a  week. 
By  this  time,  the  passengers  had  exhausted  the  marvels  of 
the  Oroya  Road,  had  seen  a  bull  fight,  and  had  visited 
every  place  of  interest  in  Lima  and  its  vicinity:  they  re- 
turned, and  finding  everything  topsy-turvy,  fell  into  ill- 
humor,  thinking  the  condition  due  to  the  Captain — that 
he  was  either  too  sanguine  in  promise  or  inefficient  in  per- 
formance. 

Among  the  crew  the  surly  slowness  became  rank:  the 
disgruntled  were  in  the  large  majority,  and  set  the  pace  at 
which  work  should  lag.  It  mattered  not  that  it  was  their 
own  misconduct  that  deprived  them  of  shore  liberty:  they 
were  neither  reasonable  nor  reasoning  beings  to  take  this 
view  of  it — they  thought  only  of  the  way  it  affected  them; 
and  they  would  wreak  their  anger  on  the  Captain  by  delay- 
ing the  work.  This  is  a  favorite  and  frequent  method 
with  Jack  for  venting  his  spleen :  it  is  a  boat  that  is  walked 


124       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

up  with  the  measured  tread  of  a  funeral  march,  instead  of 
being  run  up;  or  an  anchor  that  holds  forever  against  the 
simulated  tugs  of  all  hands;  or  a  topsail  that  thrashes  to 
splitting  before  it  is  taken  in;  or  any  other  means  of  squar- 
ing yards  with  the  old  man. 

And  many  an  officer  gratifies  his  resentment  in  much 
the  same  way:  human  nature  is  alike  in  both,  only  that 
the  officer  has  time  to  brood,  and  intelligence  to  concoct. 
His  methods  are  less  brutal  than  those  of  the  common 
sailor,  but  not  less  effective  or  irritating:  he  will  answer 
Aye,  aye,  sir,  to  the  order;  but  his  ingenuity  is  at  work 
devising  means  to  thwart  or  evade  it — of  sailing  as  close 
to  the  wind  as  he  can  without  being  caught  aback — of 
being  insubordinate  just  short  of  being  disobedient. 

And  so — whether  from  forecastle  or  wardroom,  one 
phase  of  exasperation  follows  another  until  the  com- 
manding officer  is  forced  to  drastic  measures;  and  then 
the  offenders  launch  into  fine  frenzy  over  his  harshness 
and  injustice.  It  is  a  sad  spectacle — this  want  of  reason 
in  man!  The  real  offender  for  much  that  is  laid  to  the 
Captain,  is  he  who  creates  the  situation  that  requires 
severe  action:  it  is  not  always  the  one  who  commits  the 
overt  act  that  is  the  culprit — many  a  time  it  is  he  who 
pursues  the  covert  course — the  cunning  serpent  whose 
craft  is  hidden. 

All  the  cargo  they  could  get,  was  now  stowed;  but 
another  lot  was  to  be  ready  in  a  few  days,  and  the  Captain 
decided  to  employ  this  time  in  coaling  and  refitting  ship. 

The  number  of  men  whose  behavior  entitled  them  to 
liberty  was  reduced  to  ten,  so  the  experiment  was  made  of 
again  allowing  some  of  the  early  delinquents  another  trial : 
they  went,  and  returned  nearly  on  time  and  also  in  better 


"Run  DONE  IT!"  125 

condition  than  at  first;  but  whether  because  the  pace  was 
too  fast,  or  their  money  could  not  keep  it  up,  or  from  a 
latent  sense  of  decency,  could  not  be  determined. 

A  new  matter  now  arose  to  worry  the  Captain:  for  the 
past  few  days  he  had  noticed  signs  of  drink  on  several  men 
who  had  been  kept  aboard  on  account  of  misconduct;  and 
it  was  evident  that  liquor  was  smuggled  among  them. 
They  were  not  exactly  drunk,  but  in  that  limp  condition 
which  renders  one  incapable  of  work.  The  Second  and 
Third  Mates,  too,  bore  evidence  of  their  days  off — puffed, 
blotched  faces;  watery  eyes;  and  a  tired,  listless,  yawning 
manner.  The  First  Mate  either  did  not  drink  at  all,  or 
had  such  capacity  for  it,  that  it  made  no  inroads  upon  him : 
his  inclination  was  gambling,  and  every  evening  he  went 
ashore  and  spent  until  the  small  hours  of  morning  over 
poker  with  others  of  his  ilk:  it  is  needless  to  say  that  his 
energy  during  the  day  was  far  from  what  it  should  be. 
The  Captain's  failure  to  instil  any  decency  into  the  men 
regarding  liberty  and  liquor,  as  well  as  the  general  apathy 
on  their  part,  were  savoury  morsels  to  the  Mate:  he  and 
Sam  Ruggles  had  many  a  coarse  jest  and  laugh  over  the 
hell  of  a  time  the  Captain  was  having  in  improving  the 
sailor. 

Finally,  a  climax  was  reached  the  second  day  of  coal- 
ing ship:  a  barge  full  came  alongside,  and  from  it  an 
innocent  looking  small  keg  or  breaker  (such  as  is  used  for 
carrying  water  in  boats)  was  passed  on  board :  it  was  done 
openly,  as  if  for  refilling  at  the  scuttle-butt;  but  the  word 
soon  spread  that  it  contained  rum!  Instantly,  men 
gathered  from  every  quarter,  like  flies  round  a  molasses 
cask:  in,  out  of  the  lighter — up,  from  the  bunkers — down, 
from  aloft — from  the  chains  and  various  jobs  about  deck; 


126  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  they  drank  and  drank  and  got  boozy  and  hilarious. 

At  this  stage  of  the  orgie,  the  First  Mate  and  little 
Snively  made  but  faint  efforts — rather,  simulated  efforts, 
to  check  the  men;  and  this  only  encouraged  them  the  more. 
Greater  excesses  soon  followed:  they  shouted — they 
hooted  at  the  Mates — they  got  more  drunk. 

Then  one  man  bawled  out,  "  Let's  have  the  belaying- 
pin  chorus!"  when  each  went  to  the  rail,  threw  down  the 
rigging  and  took  out  one  of  the  heavy  iron  pins.  Then 
they  dropped  on  deck  around  the  coal  pile,  and  each  took 
a  big  lump  of  it  in  one  hand  and  his  belaying  pin  in  the 
other.  A  ribald  song  was  started  in  grating  discord,  each 
joining  in  according  to  his  degree  of  drunkenness,  and 
keeping  a  kind  of  rat-tat  time  by  beating  the  deck  with  his 
pin :  at  the  end  of  every  verse,  they  made  an  effort  to  hurl 
their  lumps  of  coal  together  at  some  object  on  deck. 

Hawse  and  Snively  were  alarmed — the  animal  was  not 
only  loose  but  raging:  the  uproar  could  be  heard  all  over 
the  harbor,  and  men  were  seen  watching  the  Wenonah 
from  the  deck  of  every  ship  about  her. 

The  Captain  heard  it  afar  off — he  had  been  ashore  to  see 
the  agent  about  more  cargo,  and  was  returning:  he 
ordered  the  men  to  pull  hard,  which  they  did,  for  they  were 
four  of  the  decent  few  in  the  ship's  company;  and  in  a  short 
time  he  was  alongside:  he  ran  up  the  ladder  and  as  he 
stepped  over  the  gangway,  a  shower  of  coal  shot  in  that 
direction,  for  it  was  the  finale  of  the  song.  He  took  one 
look — saw  how  matters  stood — and  went  hastily  to  his 
cabin,  while  the  men  burst  into  a  shout  and  called  him  foul 
names.  He  put  a  revolver  in  his  pocket — strode  back  to 
the  mutinous  gang — and  in  a  firm  voice  ordered  them  to 
stop  the  noise  instantly  and  get  to  work.  This  was  met 


"RUM  DONE  IT!"  127 

with  an  oath  and  vile  epithet  from  one  of  the  worst  men  on 
board  while  attempting  to  hurl  a  lump  of  coal  at  Colburn. 

The  latter  saw  the  motion,  and  quick  as  a  flash,  put  a 
bullet  through  his  arm:  the  man  dropped  on  the  deck  in 
a  limp  heap,  and  instantly  silence  fell  on  all. 

The  Captain  ordered  them  to  put  down  the  belaying 
pins,  which  they  did — the  animal  was  cowed  and  again 
submissive  to  bit  and  halter. 

A  single  decisive  act  showed  them  that  their  master 
was  in  full  control:  they  knew  he  had  been  through  the 
Civil  War  in  the  naval  service,  and  that  four  years'  fight- 
ing gave  him  ample  experience  to  cope  with  such  as  they. 
All  this  flashed  upon  them  with  the  crack  of  the  pistol  shot, 
and  they  stood  ready  to  obey  any  command :  they  were  not 
so  drunk  that  they  did  not  realize  the  gravity  of  their  action. 

The  Captain  sent  for  sets  of  irons  and  had  the  Mates 
put  them  on  the  hands  and  feet  of  four  men  who  he  knew 
were  leaders  in  every  disturbance  since  leaving  San  Fran- 
cisco: thus  manacled,  they  were  led  to  the  forecastle  and 
confined  in  cells.  He  then  ordered  the  remaining  men  to 
pick  up  the  pins,  return  them  to  the  racks,  coil  up  the 
rigging,  and  get  to  work :  this  they  did  with  as  much  alacrity 
as  their  partly  sodden  condition  would  allow. 

The  wounded  man  still  lay  on  the  deck,  moaning  and 
begging  the  Captain  not  to  kill  him — a  miserable  example 
of  the  cowardice  that  streaked  them  all.  He  was  really 
more  frightened  than  hurt;  for  a  hasty  examination  dis- 
closed it  to  be  merely  a  flesh  wound:  it  had  the  full  moral 
effect,  however,  of  a  serious  one. 

At  the  sound  of  the  shot,  every  ship-of-war  in  harbor 
despatched  an  armed  boat  to  the  Wenonah:  the  one  from 
the  Adirondack  arrived  first,  and  when  the  lieutenant  in 


128  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

charge  stepped  on  board  he  said  he  came  to  offer  assistance 
in  case  there  was  any  trouble.  Captain  Colburn  thanked 
him — replied  that  there  had  been  a  disturbance — but  that 
he  had  quelled  it,  and  the  men  were  now  at  work :  he  said, 
however,  that  he  should  be  glad  to  have  the  service  of  a 
surgeon,  as  he  had  wounded  a  man. 

The  boat  returned  to  the  ship ;  and  the  other  boats  seeing 
this,  took  it  for  granted  that  there  was  nothing  for  them  to 
do,  and  returned  also  to  their  respective  ships. 

The  Captain  sent  for  both  Mates  on  the  quarter  deck 
and  gave  them  a  severe  reprimand  for  allowing  the  in- 
subordination to  reach  the  stage  it  did:  "Both  of  you 
know  well  that  if  you  had  shown  a  determined  front  at  the 
outset,  this  disgraceful  scene  could  never  have  occurred: 
it  was  only  by  neglect,  or  perhaps  worse — by  winking  at  it, 
that  it  got  beyond  your  control.  Now  keep  a  close  watch 
on  the  men — stop  the  slightest  insolence  at  once — and 
report  it  to  me."  The  two  turned  sheepishly  away,  the 
First  Mate  greatly  nettled:  he  began  at  once  to  throw  all 
the  blame  on  Snively — abusing  him  for  his  weakness ;  and 
thus  they  fell  into  mutual  upbraidings. 

The  ship  quieted  down,  and  the  various  kinds  of  work 
went  on  as  usual. 

The  passengers,  who  had  been  ashore  since  early  morn- 
ing on  a  pleasure  trip,  returned  toward  evening;  and  on 
learning  from  the  steward  the  events  of  the  day,  felt  a  sin- 
cere sorrow  and  sympathy  for  the  Captain:  this  they 
delegated  Brooks  to  express  to  him,  and  also  their  own 
regret  for  the  irritation  shown  on  finding  the  work  un- 
finished when  they  returned  from  Lima:  now  they  knew 
the  delay  was  in  no  wise  due  to  him.  It  was  a  new 
experience  for  Colburn  to  find  a  just  and  appreciative  view 


"RuM  DONE  IT!"  129 

of  the  situation  on  the  part  of  any  one;  and  he  was  not  a 
stolid  block  of  self  sufficiency  not  to  be  gratified  by  it.  It 
would  be  a  cold  egotist,  indeed,  that,  in  such  straits  (with 
all  around  him  hostile  and  vindictive)  who  would  not  be 
touched  and  encouraged  by  a  little  human  feeling! 

During  the  night  following  the  disturbance  just  related, 
the  dinghy,  which  was  kept  hoisted  at  temporary  davits 
on  the  to 'gallant  forecastle,  was  lowered,  and  three  men 
escaped  in  it  to  the  shore.  The  next  day  the  boat  was 
recovered,  and  the  men  arrested  by  the  Consul  and  sent  on 
board. 

A  mania  for  evil-doing  was  rife  in  the  ship — such  a 
spirit  as  arises  when  the  men  know  that  the  officers  do  not 
pull  together:  it  was  the  fruit  of  insubordination  that  the 
First  Mate  and  Sam  Ruggles  had  been  sowing  ever  since 
leaving  San  Francisco;  it  was  the  natural  outcome  of  the 
antagonism  exhibited  by  all  three  Mates  toward  the  Cap- 
tain in  slighting  his  well  known  orders;  it  was  the  outburst 
due  to  the  sly  laughter  and  averted  face  of  all  subordinate 
officers  at  every  petty  breach  of  discipline;  it  was  the  rude 
protest  against  the  Captain's  endeavors  to  improve  the 
sailor — efforts  in  themselves  laudable  and  worthy  of  success 
but  which,  in  addition  to  the  opposition  ever  met  by  the 
reformer,  were  turned  awry  by  the  sarcastic  sneers  of 
Jacob  Hawse. 

The  Captain  at  once  took  the  following  measures  to 
restore  order:  the  Mates  were  put  in  three  watches,  day 
and  night,  as  at  sea;  all  liberty  was  stopped,  except  for  the 
few  who  had  behaved  well  from  the  first;  the  ship  was 
searched  from  stem  to  stern  for  liquor,  and  some  that  was 
found  in  the  men's  quarters  was  thrown  overboard;  every 
boat  and  every  man  returning  from  shore  was  searched  for 


130      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

liquor;  the  dinghy  was  hoisted  inboard;  only  the  quarter 
boats  remained  at  the  davits;  during  the  night  the  Mate 
on  watch  was  required  to  make  a  complete  tour  of  the  ship 
periodically ;  no  boat  was  allowed  to  approach  the  vessel  at 
night;  the  morning  inspection  of  the  men  and  ship  was 
made  with  the  closest  scrutiny;  the  Captain  himself  went 
on  deck  twice  during  the  night  and  took  a  look  at  every- 
thing, and  as  these  visits  were  irregular,  they  served  to 
keep  the  Mates  alert;  and  during  the  day  the  Captain  was 
almost  constantly  on  deck  to  see  that  his  orders  were 
executed.  He  was  rigid  and  severe,  but  the  spur  he  applied 
soon  brought  about  discipline  and  speedy  work. 

Opposite  qualities  in  the  same  body  is  a  matter  of  almost 
universal  observation:  the  chemist  tells  us  that  the  fruity 
odor  of  apples  and  the  disgusting  smell  of  rancid  butter 
come  from  two  substances — acetic  ether  and  butyric  acid — 
that  are  composed  of  exactly  the  same  elements  (oxygen, 
hydrogen,  and  carbon)  united  in  absolutely  the  same 
proportions ;  also,  that  the  thistle  which  yields  honey  to  the 
bee  secretes  a  poison  that  stings  like  venom  from  a  ser- 
pent's fang.  So,  from  the  ear  of  corn,  which  affords  a 
wholesome  nutritious  bread,  there  is  distilled  a  liquor 
which  destroys  the  body  and  damns  the  soul!  Even  this 
liquor — rightly  used — will  arrest  the  ebb  of  life  and 
strengthen  the  weakened  physique;  whereas  its  abuse 
shatters  the  system,  crazes  the  mind,  and  reduces  to 
grovelling  mendicancy  the  man  once  proud,  erect,  and  a 
power  among  men. 

"Rum  done  it" — what  a  field  of  misery,  crime,  and 
shame  might  be  portrayed  under  the  ungrammatical,  but 
forcible  phrase! 

It  is  known  that  many  things  taken  into  the  system 


"RuM  DONE  IT!'*  131 

impart  foulness  to  the  body.  Take  a  single  instance:  the 
metal  tellurium  may  form  part  of  a  compound  that,  in 
itself,  is  entirely  free  from  odor;  but  let  a  person  swallow 
some  of  it — even  less  than  a  grain — and  he  becomes  a 
human  horror!  A  ferment  arises  in  his  organs  which 
taints  his  breath  and  perspiration  with  a  disgusting,  fetid 
smell  that  may  cling  to  him  for  days:  yet,  there  is  a  sub- 
stance more  noxious,  more  loathsome  than  tellurium — 
whiskey! 

It  imbrutes  man.  Whiskey — it  reeks  with  the  fumes  of 
acrid  pipes;  a  bar-room  with  sanded  floor  and  men  in 
shirt  sleeves ;  dirty,  greasy  tables  surrounded  with  besotted 
inebriates  sprawling  over  the  oil-cloth  covers  for  the  half 
filled  bottle.  Whiskey — it  buys  votes  and  corrupts  the 
stream  of  ideal  democracy,  the  hope  of  man  to  rise  from  the 
hard  conditions  that  the  rule  by  divine  right  has  imposed 
upon  him.  Whiskey — it  suggests  the  one  room  of  a  whole 
family — stove,  bed,  and  table  in  slovenly  disorder  of  a 
Saturday  night,  with  the  week's  earnings  spent  in  abase- 
ment of  both  parents  in  sight  of  their  children.  Whiskey — 
it  stands  for  thousands  whose  inordinate  thirst  for  it  has 
made  them  what  they  are — outcasts,  employed  in  positions 
far  beneath  their  talents,  education,  and  social  grade. 
Whiskey — could  it  be  given  any  other  name  that  would 
sink  all  these  associations? 

Many  things  that  might  be  left  to  the  discretion  of  men 
when  not  herded  together,  nor  under  the  dominance  of 
brutal  appetite,  must  be  controlled  by  a  superior  when 
these  conditions  exist;  and  the  larger  the  community,  or 
more  intimate  its  association,  or  more  beastly  the  appetite — 
the  tighter  must  the  bonds  of  control  be  drawn. 

The    temperate    indulgence    in    wine    which    imparts 


132      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

geniality  to  the  table  of  a  self  respecting  man,  is  no  argu- 
ment whatever  for  the  use  of  liquor  on  board  ship. 

No:  a  ship  is  no  place  for  liquor,  among  either  officers 
or  men.  If  alertness  of  every  faculty — firmness  of  will, 
quickness  of  perception,  soundness  of  judgment,  readiness 
of  act — a  strong  hold,  physical  and  mental,  of  the  con- 
ditions in  which  one  is  placed — if  all  these  are  ever  needed 
in  any  situation,  it  is  on  board  ship. 

Storm,  wind,  and  wave;  the  hurricane;  the  threatened 
collision;  the  man  overboard;  the  mutinous  crew;  the 
carrying  away  of  masts;  the  break  down  of  an  engine;  the 
lee  shore  in  a  gale — these,  one  and  all  admit  of  no  delibera- 
tion or  delay:  action  must  be  immediate  and  judicious  to 
be  effective;  and  that  it  may  be  both,  the  man  who  has  to 
do  with  them  must  not  be  sodden  with  rum. 

Now,  what  does  liquor  do  to  the  man  of  sharp  eye, 
strong  will,  firm  tread,  and  powerful  grip  ?  It  relaxes 
everything;  the  eye  swims  and  becomes  watery,  the  will 
vacillates,  the  walk  stumbles,  the  hand  trembles — it  makes 
him  an  imbecile.  The  baneful  influence  permeates  the 
whole  system — making  lax  every  member  and  dull  every 
faculty:  mind  and  muscle  lose  their  power — ideas  float 
hazily  through  the  brain,  and  the  hand  can  hold  no  object — 
both  matter  and  thought  elude  the  physical  and  the  mental 
grasp.  Let  any  one  recall  his  first  excess  in  drink,  and  see 
if  he  does  not  recognize  in  this  picture  his  condition  after 
it!  The  second  excess  finds  everything  weakened  and 
more  easy  of  assault;  the  third  and  successive  ones  a  still 
more  easy  prey,  until,  eventually,  the  victim  becomes  a 
sottish  wreck,  devoid  of  decency  or  refinement,  gross  of 
speech,  coarse — brutish  in  manner  and  in  appearance. 

The  incidents  of  the  present  chapter  tell  a  truthful  tale 


"RuM  DONE  IT!"  133 

of  the  ravages  of  liquor  among  a  ship's  company — filling 
them  with  sour  dissatisfaction  toward  the  Captain,  morbid 
querulousness  toward  each  other,  laxity  of  discipline,  and 
sulkiness  in  work. 

The  most  pitiable  sight  possible  is  an  old  sailor  the  morn- 
ing after  a  spree,  when  he  comes  to  the  mast,  abject  and 
trembling,  and  begs  the  officer  of  the  deck  for  Heaven's 
sake  to  let  him  go  ashore  to  get  just  one  drink  to  steady 
himself!  And  the  officer  is  sorely  tempted  to  let  him !  It 
is  the  opium  slave  in  another  form,  shattered  by  his  drug. 

And  to  this,  is  God's  image  and  likeness  brought!  and 
"Rum  done  it !" 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  TRIP  ON  THE  OROYA  RAILROAD,  AND  A 
BULL-FIGHT  AT  LIMA 

Ecco  alfin,  ed  ognun  silente. 
Cos'  awenne,  cosa  fu  ? 
Corre  il  toro  ed  e  furente, 
Salta  fuori  dal  toril. 

Toreador,  atento!     Toreador,  Toreador! 

Non  obbliar  che  un  occhio  tutt  'ardor 

Ad  ammirarti  e  intento,  e  che  t'aspett  'amor. 

— Carmen. 

OUR  literary  passenger,  George  Brooks,  went  up  the 
Oroya  Road,  and  saw  a  bull-fight  at  Lima:  he  wrote  to  a 
friend  in  San  Francisco  of  his  trip,  and  we  reproduce  his 
letter  here: 

CALLAO,  PERU. 

My  dear  Dan:  You  wanted  me  to  tell  you  of  anything 
remarkable  I  should  meet  in  my  travels — if  remarkable 
thing  there  be  outside  of  our  glorious  California ! 

Well,  I  have  something  to  recount  of  this  place — a  rail- 
road up  the  Andes,  which  is  a  marvel;  and  a  slaughter 
of  semi-wild  beasts,  which  is  abominable!  The  road  is 
worthy  of  our  great  State:  it  should  be  among  her  stu- 
pendous works — in  fact  it  may  be  claimed  by  us ;  for  it  was 
built  by  a  Californian — you  remember  him,  Henry  Meiggs 
— a  man  of  bold  enterprise.  But  the  bull-fight — the 
protracted  torture  of  dumb  animals  ending  in  a  death 

134 


A  TRIP  ON  THE  OROYA  RAILROAD  135 

thrust — that,  thank  Heaven,  we  have  a  Bergh  Society  to 
prevent!  We  have  no  trait  of  American  character  that 
takes  pleasure  in  seeing  the  fury  of  poor  beasts  spent  upon 
each  other — a  bull  goring  the  horse  of  a  picador,  or  a  pair 
of  game  cocks  scratching  and  tearing  each  other  with 
spurs. 

The  Oroya  Railroad — how  shall  I  describe  it?  Shall 
I  open  a  dictionary  and  pick  out  a  lot  of  words:  towering 
peaks,  precipitous  slopes,  yawning  chasms,  roaring  tor- 
rents, abysses,  gorges,  tunnels,  switch-backs,  bridges,  et 
id  omne  genus — and  jumble  them  into  a  kind  of  pot- 
pourri ?  I  think  it  would  be  about  as  impressive  and  con- 
vey as  much  meaning  as  if  I  were  to  arrange  them  syste- 
matically and  in  the  order  of  their  occurrence — neither  of 
which  I  shall  do. 

No,  there  must  be  some  object  for  comparison — you 
must  have  seen  something  similar  in  grandeur  and  great- 
ness in  order  to  appreciate  such  word  painting.  Well,  then 
the  Oroya  Road  is  grander  than  the  Gorge  of  Gonda, 
which  /  did  not  see  (but  will  take  your  word  for  it) ;  or  the 
Pyramids,  which  you  did  not  see  (but  must  rely  upon  my 
say  so). 

To  compare  it  with  something  we  both  saw — the  Royal 
Gorge  of  the  Grand  Canon  in  Colorado — is  to  liken  the 
murmurs  of  a  rippling  brook  to  the  voluminous  roar  of 
the  Nevada  Falls  in  the  Yosemite:  they  are  in  the  same 
category — but  one  is  ordinary,  the  other  extraordinary. 
The  very  name  of  the  mountain  chain  that  the  road  climbs 
— la  Cordillera  de  los  Andes — is  suggestive  of  majesty  that 
cannot  be  portrayed. 

This  reminds  me  what  a  grandiloquent  language  these 
Spaniards  have,  and  what  a  leaning  they  exhibit  toward 


136      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  grandiose  in  everything.  The  other  day  I  read  a  good 
illustration  of  it — here  it  is : 

"A  person  of  high  diplomatic  talent,  with  the  unpre- 
tending and  rather  plebeian  name  of  Bubb,  was  once 
nominated  to  represent  Great  Britain  at  Madrid.  Lord 
Chesterfield  (then  Minister  of  State)  on  seeing  the  newly 
appointed  minister  remarked :  *  My  dear  fellow,  your  name 
will  damn  you  with  the  Spaniards;  a  one-syllable  patro- 
nymic will  disgust  the  grandees  of  that  hyperbolic  nation.' 
'What  shall  I  do?'  said  Bubb.  'Oh!  that  is  easily  man- 
aged/ rejoined  the  peer:  'get  yourself  dubbed  before  you 
start,  as  Don  Vaca  y  Hijo  Hermoso  y  Toro  y  Sill  y  Bubb, 
and  on  your  arrival  you  will  have  all  the  Spanish  Court  at 
your  feet. '  ' 

But  to  return  to  the  road:  grand  scenery,  like  stirring 
passions,  must  be  experienced  to  be  appreciated — the 
person  who  has  never  been  deeply  injured,  knows  not  the 
savour  of  gratified  retaliation ! 

Once  again  to  the  road,  and  this  time  I  hope  to  make  a 
start:  you  see,  some  of  the  fanfare  of  Italian  railways  still 
haunts  me — the  clang  of  the  gong,  the  scream  of  the 
whistle,  the  ding-dong  of  the  bell,  and,  Partenza!  shouted 
again  and  again  in  fearful  apprehension  lest  some  one  be 
left. 

Partenza!  then,  and  we  step  aboard  the  train  at  seven 
o'clock  at  Callao,  eight  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  which 
almost  beats  upon  the  tracks;  and  toward  evening  of  the 
same  day  we  are  amidst  crags  and  peaks  covered  with 
eternal  snow,  nearly  sixteen  thousand  feet  in  the  air:  we 
have  been  travelling  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-six 
miles ;  for  that  is  the  distance  by  rail  from  station  to  station 
— Callao  to  Oroya,  But,  to  particularize — to  make  the 


A  TRIP  ON  THE  OROYA  RAILROAD  137 

actual  trip,  and  not  this  flight  of  the  condor  (you  know  this 
is  the  habitat  of  that  bird). 

I  used  the  word  w^above,  not  in  the  sense  of  the  editorial 
figment,  but  to  denote  that  I  had  companions:  Dr. 
Austin,  his  wife,  daughter,  and  governess,  and  Mr. 
Northrup,  a  lawyer  from  New  York — all  people  that  it 
does  one  good  to  be  with. 

In  half  an  hour  from  leaving  Callao  we  reach  Lima;  and 
here  most  of  the  passengers  get  aboard  for  various  towns 
and  hamlets  strung  along  the  mountain  side — for  Chosica 
at  an  elevation  of  nearly  three  thousand  feet;  San  Barto- 
lome,  almost  five  thousand  feet;  Matucana,  about  eight 
thousand  feet;  San  Mateo,  over  ten  thousand  feet;  Chicla, 
nearly  thirteen  thousand  feet;  and  Oroya,  over  twelve 
thousand  feet.  Oroya  is  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Andes; 
for,  soon  after  passing  Chicla,  the  road  traverses  a  tunnel 
(el  Paso  de  Galera)  which  is  the  highest  point  on  the  Rail- 
road 15,665  feet  above  sea  level;  and  Mount  Meiggs 
(visible  from  the  train)  is  17,575  feet. 

For  ten  miles  or  so  after  leaving  Lima,  the  ascent  is 
gradual  and  without  particular  interest — ordinary  foot- 
hill scenery;  but  at  Chosica,  thirty-three  miles  from  Callao, 
the  climb  begins — up,  up,  up,  steady  and  slow.  The  road 
winds,  turns,  and  twists:  it  retraces  its  path  in  many  a 
switch-back — in  nautical  phrase,  the  train  makes  a  tack, 
and  indeed  its  whole  course  up  the  mountain  is  like  beating 
to  windward:  it  shoots  through  dark  tunnels  sonorous  of 
name,  and  plunges  across  innumerable  bridges,  some  of 
them  strung  over  mighty  deeps.  Turn  to  your  Dante,  Canto 
XVII  of  the  Inferno — look  at  the  illustration  of  Gerione 
bearing  the  two  poets  from  the  seventh  circle  down  to  the 
eighth  across  a  dark  abyss:  well,  on  the  Oroya  Railroad, 


1S8      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

there  is  one  bridge  called  El  Infiernillo  that  spans  a  gulf  not 
unlike  that  in  Dore's  picture;  its  elevation  above  sea 
level  is  10,919  feet,  and  its  height  above  the  visible  ground 
beneath  seems  to  measure  at  least  that  extent  of  void^ 

From  many  a  point  on  the  road  you  can  see  numerous 
doublings  upon  itself — convolutions  and  contortions  las- 
soing the  mountain:  now  don't  tell  me  that  metaphor  is 
trite — I  know  it — but  it  describes  the  condition. 

The  little  villages  present  a  very  pleasing  appearance: 
they  are  generally  located  on  small  patches  of  level  ground : 
the  houses  are  one  story  high,  whitewashed,  and  are 
grouped  about  the  church  like  the  flock  about  the  shep- 
herd. The  cross  and  the  bell-towers  a  la  espanola,  pro- 
ject conspicuously  from  the  group  and  testify  to  the  flour- 
ishing condition  of  the  Faith  of  the  Conquistadores  along 
the  sides  of  the  Cordillera. 

Humboldt  says  that  in  the  ascent  of  this  mountain  chain, 
one  meets  the  vegetable  growth  of  various  climes,  ranging 
from  tropical  luxuriance  to  polar  sterility:  on  the  narrow 
hot  plains  from  their  base  to  the  sea  (as  around  Callao), 
the  palm  and  banana;  higher  up,  tree  ferns;  still  higher, 
large  trees  and  among  them  the  cinchona  from  whose 
bark  quinine  is  obtained;  beyond,  ivies  and  myrtles;  then 
stony  regions  swept  by  cold  damp  winds,  and  occasional 
meadows  which  afford  grass  for  the  llama;  after  this, 
lichens  and  other  sturdy  plants;  and  finally  all  vegetation 
disappears,  snow  flakes  begin,  and  eventually  become  the 
steady  product,  covering  the  peaks  with  an  eternal  mantle. 

Now  I  cannot  vouch  for  all  this  variety  of  flora,  not  being 
a  botanist;  but  presume  it  is  accurate — Humboldt  was  an 
observant  man.  I  can,  however,  testify  to  the  correctness 
of  the  dismal  weather  near  the  snow  line;  for  it  came 


A  TRIP  ON  THE  OROYA  RAILROAD  139 

toward  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon — snow  and  sleet  with 
piercing  wind,  and  a  bleak  desolate  outlook. 

In  this  region,  we  saw  a  line  of  llamas  trotting  single  file 
along  the  mountain  side,  each  burdened  with  a  sack  of  ore : 
there  are  mines  up  in  those  heights,  and  the  ore  is  carried 
by  these  animals. 

There  is  nothing  like  coming  to  the  habitat  of  bird,  beast, 
or  herb  for  impressing  its  individuality  upon  one :  an  hour 
of  such  intimate  "at  home"  acquaintance  is  worth  pages 
of  description.  Now,  here  are  four  names — alpaca,  vicuna, 
llama,  and  guanaco — that  have  ever  floated  like  misty 
vapor  o'er  my  brain :  alpaca,  as  the  material  of  a  sack  coat 
that  brought  comfort  on  a  warm  day;  and  vicuna,  as  that 
kind  of  cloth  our  tailor  on  Montgomery  Street  was  forever 
extolling  for  the  climate  of  San  Francisco;  while  llama  and 
guanaco  are  known  to  us  mostly  as  names — llama,  as  a 
zoological  classification,  and  guanaco,  as  the  flamboyant 
advertisement  on  those  big  umbrellas  that  shade  truckmen 
of  a  hot  day  down  on  the  wharves.  But  here,  these  names 
have  a  habitation  and  a  home :  they  stand  for  four  animals 
of  the  same  species  differing  slightly  one  from  another;  all 
are  of  the  camel  family — no  hump,  however;  smaller,  and 
not  cumbrous  like  that  slow  creature,  but  on  the  contrary, 
neat-footed,  lively  and  alert;  some  are  beasts  of  burden  and 
bearers  of  wool  for  the  natives  of  these  elevated  regions, 
as  well  as  a  source  from  which  other  countries  derive 
material  for  clothing. 

Another  matter  brought  home  to  me  by  experience  here 
— the  change  of  pressure  as  we  rise  through  the  atmosphere, 
and  the  consequent  physiological  effects. 

You  know  that  on  an  average  the  weight  of  the  air  at 
sea  level  is  equal  to  a  column  of  mercury  thirty  inches 


140      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

high — the  barometer;  and  if  this  column  has  a  cross  sec- 
tion of  one  square  inch,  it  will  weigh  about  fifteen  pounds : 
therefore  at  sea  level  the  pressure  per  square  inch  on  our 
bodies,  both  inside  and  outside,  is  fifteen  pounds.  As 
we  rise  above  sea  level,  the  barometer  falls  about  one  inch 
for  every  950  feet,  so  that  at  the  highest  point  reached  on 
the  Oroya  Road,  viz.  15,655  feet,  the  barometer  indicated 
only  about  14.5  inches;  or  the  external  pressure  on  our 
bodies  was  reduced  to  about  one  half,  that  is,  to  about  seven 
pounds  per  square  inch.  The  air  in  the  system  naturally 
pressing  outward  to  restore  equilibrium,  distends  the 
delicate  tissues:  the  vessels  burst;  the  skin  cracks;  blood 
issues  from  the  nose,  ears,  and  lips;  there  is  difficulty  in 
breathing — the  air  is  so  thin ;  the  heart  beats  violently ;  nau- 
sea and  faintness  ensue;  and  one  is  weary  at  the  least  effort. 

Such  is  theory:  I  experienced  some  of  these  effects — 
lassitude,  nausea,  bursting  headache,  and,  generally,  a 
most  miserable  feeling:  no  issue  of  blood,  however. 

On  arrival  at  Chicla,  we  went  to  the  Hotel  Transandino, 
which  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  12,697  feet  above  sea 
level :  I  went  at  once  to  bed  with  the  above  host  of  miseries 
and  a  threatened  congestive  chill ;  the  weather  was  dismal 
and  raw;  I  covered  up  with  all  the  bed  clothes  available, 
and  spent  one  of  the  most  sick  and  wretched  nights  of  my 
life.  The  next  morning  I  felt  better;  and  on  rising  would 
barter  all  the  real  estate  of  which  I  was  seized  in  fee  simple 
for  a  cup  of  good  coffee;  but  alas! — the  manana  trait 
delayed  it  until  I  grew  weary  unto  collapse. 

O  the  dilatoriness  of  these  people!  And  yet  the  card 
of  the  hotel  proclaims  it  to  be  magnifico.  What  hyperbole ! 
About  nine  o'clock,  we  took  the  train  for  sea  level  and 
made  the  run  down  to  Callao  in  much  shorter  time  than 


A  TRIP  ON  THE  OROYA  RAILROAD  141 

the  ascent.  When  the  miserable  feeling  had  passed,  we 
were  glad  to  have  seen  the  grandeur  of  the  Cordillera,  but 
— like  the  opera  of  Parsifal — we  did  not  want  to  see  it 
again. 

There!  so  much  for  that  marvel  of  engineering — the 
Oroya  Road:  now  for  the  Bull-fight!  And  short  shrift  I 
shall  give  it — I  hate  bloody  spectacles.  Even  on  the  stage, 
I  cannot  endure  simulated  murder — I  will  not  go  to  see  it. 
My  greatest  source  of  enjoyment  is  the  opera,  and  yet  the 
tragic  deed  at  the  end  never  fails  to  give  me  a  shiver:  Sieg- 
fried stabbed  in  the  back;  Aida  suffocated  in  the  tomb; 
Traviata  wasted  away  by  disease;  Carmen  pursued  round 
the  stage  by  Jose  with  the  gleaming  knife ;  Faust  dragged  to 
his  doom  to  the  strains  of  grandiose  music  so  fitting  to  a 
departing  soul — all  these  sadden  me,  even  though  the  crime 
be  attempted  rather  than  performed:  I  prefer  the  wholly 
imaginative  deed  of  Lucia  di  Lammermoor. 

But  the  actual  shedding  of  blood — Ugh !  that  is  horrible. 

The  street  fight — two  human  faces  bruised  and  trickling 
with  blood — well,  there  may  be  some  excuse  for  this:  it 
may  be  the  only  way  of  settling  a  score — some  differences 
between  men  cannot  be  carried  into  court  nor  arbitrated. 

The  contest  in  the  arena  between  two  dumb  animals: 
bull  and  lion,  or  tiger,  or  leopard,  or  elephant — merely 
to  vent  the  antagonism  each  instinctively  feels  for  the 
other  by  tearing,  clawing,  goring,  and  biting,  until  both 
are  racked  with  pain  and  exhausted  by  loss  of  blood— 
this  is  revolting;  and  yet  it  is  near  kin  to  the  combat  between 
man  and  bull.  Not  so  many  years  ago,  such  conflicts  took 
place  in  the  ring  at  Madrid,  and  (incredible  though  it  be) 
the  bull  was  victor  over  lion,  tiger,  and  leopard,  being 
vanquished  by  the  elephant  alone.  Think  of  the  courage 


142  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

of  a  man  who  will  face  the  conqueror  of  such  monarchs 
of  the  lair  and  jungle! 

But  for  a  poor  beast  to  be  incited  to  fury — prodded  by 
the  lance  of  the  picador,  tortured  by  the  barb  of  the 
banderillero,  enraged  by  a  hypodermic  injection  of  fire, 
and  pierced  again  and  again  with  a  stiletto  when  the 
matador  fails  in  his  aim — Oh !  this  is  the  worst  of  all :  it  is 
horrible  to  see — mere  brute  force  and  animal  rage  butting 
against  dexterity  of  hand,  nimbleness  of  foot,  and  skill 
begotten  of  practice !  The  inevitable  is  apparent  from  the 
first — clear  sighted  intelligence  must  win  against  blind 
instinct. 

The  struggle  is  typical  of  the  efforts  of  the  criminal 
against  his  Creator — he  goes  on  breaking  every  law  of 
Heaven  in  a  wild  career  of  sin,  crime,  and  shame;  but  the 
eternal  justice  of  God  will  give  the  final  thrust! 

But  I  wander — let  us  return  to  the  gory  deed. 

I  have  seen  ten  thousand  people  of  all  ages,  both  sexes, 
and  every  condition  of  life,  shout  and  applaud  in  a  mighty 
roar — at  what?  At  the  spectacle  of  a  slender  youth,  in 
rich  apparel — holding  a  small  red  flag  in  one  hand,  and  a 
long  sharp  sword  in  the  other — quiet  and  cool — waiting 
the  onset  of  a  maddened  bull ;  and  when  it  was  upon  him, 
thrust  the  blade  up  to  the  hilt  in  the  animal's  neck,  and 
in  an  instant  the  raging  life  became  an  inert  mass.  Self 
possessed  courageous  manhood — sure  of  eye  and  hand- 
pitted  against  blind  fury!  I  must  say  it  was  admirable. 

And  again  I  have  heard  the  same  multitude  hiss  and 
jeer  and  utter  every  cry  of  derision — at  what  ?  The  same 
spectacle! — but  this  time  the  man's  arm  failed — the  steel 
stuck  in  the  animal's  neck,  a  foot  deep,  and  he  went  career- 
ing onward — furious  under  the  blade's  wriggling  point. 


A  TRIP  ON  THE  OEOYA  RAILROAD  143 

Such  is  the  lesson  of  failure;  and  you'll  find  that  the 
multitude  in  matters  much  more  important,  are  often 
swayed  by  a  mere  balk  to  their  expectations,  like  the 
emotional  spectators  of  a  bull-fight. 

Mr.  Northrup,  who  has  seen  the  spectacle  in  the  home  of 
its  greatest  splendor  (Madrid),  tells  me  that  it  is  about  the 
same  here  as  there.  Descriptions  of  it  abound;  so  if  you 
are  interested  in  the  details,  I  must  refer  you  to  other 
sources,  as  I  shall  give  only  an  outline  of  it. 

The  bull-ring  is  a  huge  round  structure  of  masonry 
on  the  outskirts  of  the  city;  it  is  supplied  with  seats  like 
a  circus,  but  has  no  covering,  so  that  on  a  bright,  hot 
day  one  half  the  seats  are  desirable,  and  the  other  half 
scarcely  endurable:  the  latter  correspond  to  the  gallery 
of  a  theatre,  and  are  sold  at  low  rates  to  the  populace; 
the  former  correspond  to  the  dress  circle,  and  command 
high  prices  from  the  better  class.  The  arena  where  the 
action  goes  on  is  of  vast  size :  around  it  runs  a  railing  a  few 
feet  from  the  lowest  circle  of  seats;  and  the  toreros  scale  this 
barrier  when  hotly  pursued  by  the  bull. 

The  butchery  is  advertised  as  a  corrida  de  toros — a  mere 
running  of  bulls;  but  it  is  a  tragedy  in  three  acts — the 
Tantalizing,  the  Torturing,  and  the  Death  Thrust. 

There  is  a  programme  of  the  play,  giving  the  names  and 
parts  of  the  dramatis  personae,  both  biped  and  quadruped ; 
for  several  of  the  latter  are  run.  I  spoke  above  of  a 
hypodermic  injection  of  fire  being  administered  to  the  bull 
to  make  him  active  when  sluggish ;  and  lest  you  think  I  am 
indulging  in  facetious  metaphor,  I  quote  from  the  Prog- 
rama  oficial  de  las  corridas  de  toros:  " Cuarto.  Que  se 
usaran  banderillas  de  fuego  para  los  toros  que  no  hayan 
tornado  mas  de  tres  varas."  The  banderilla  de  fuego 


144      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

has  a  fire  cracker  attached  to  its  barbed  point:  when  this 
enters  the  flesh,  the  cracker  explodes,  burning  and  in- 
furiating the  poor  animal,  and  converting  what  was  little 
more  than  a  vicious  ox  into  a  maddened  bull  raging  for 
fight. 

And  that  you  may  see  that  all  ages,  even  the  child  at 
the  breast,  are  present  at  these  performances,  I  quote  again 
from  the  programme:  "Los  ninos  que  no  scan  de  pecho, 
necesitan  billete." 

Under  the  name  Cuadrilla  (troop)  are  included  all  who 
take  part  in  the  performance:  the  matador  (killer)  is  the 
swordsman  who  gives  the  fatal  thrust;  he  is  agile,  alert, 
of  undaunted  courage,  complete  master  of  nerve  and 
muscle,  and  thoroughly  skilled  in  the  use  of  his  weapon, 
by  whose  Spanish  name,  Espada,  he  is  generally  known. 
The  banderillero  (from  bandera,  a  small  flag  on  a  staff) 
is  a  torturer;  and  for  dexterity,  self-possession,  and  courage, 
ranks  next  to  the  Espada:  the  staff  is  not  a  simple  stick, 
however;  but  has  a  fish-hook  barb  which  enters  the  bull's 
hide — sticks  there — and  penetrates  more  with  his  every 
motion — an  automatic  spur.  The  capeador  (cape  bearer) 
is  a  tantalizer  and  foil,  who  carries  a  large  red  and  yellow 
piece  of  cloth  by  which  he  decoys  the  bull  from  a  fallen 
picador,  or  practises  feints  upon  him ;  he  must  have  a  sharp 
eye,  fleet  foot,  and  ready  hand.  The  picador  (lancer)  is 
armed  with  a  long  lance  having  a  dull  prod — it  gives  the 
first  wound  to  poor  toro :  the  picador  is  mounted — all  others 
perform  on  foot — but  such  a  horse!  "Shylock  might 
probe  in  vain  for  a  pound  of  flesh  on  the  entire  herd  of  old 
nags  used  by  the  picadores] — diseased,  emaciated,  shat- 
tered in  wind  and  limb — a  pitiable  museum  of  equine 
skeletons."  The  chulos  are  the  supes  of  the  theatre. 


A  TRIP  ON  THE  OROYA  RAILROAD  145 

Torero  is  a  general  name  applied  to  any  member  of  the 
cuadrilla ;  and  toreador  is  reserved  for  the  espada  or  mata- 
dor in  particular.  There  are  several  matadores,  ban- 
derilleros,  capeadores  and  picadores  in  every  performance 
— all  varying  in  attainments  and  importance  like  the 
players  in  a  drama;  and  the  Booth,  Irving,  or  Mansfield 
of  the  bull-ring  is  even  more  of  a  personage  to  the  lovers 
of  that  pastime  than  were  these  actors  to  their  admirers. 

In  the  pristine  glory  of  tauromachia,  it  was  the  grandees 
and  men  of  celebrity  who  fought  bulls:  Fernando  Pizarro 
was  a  valiant  toreador  before  undertaking  the  conquest  of 
Peru.  In  our  unromantic  era,  however,  the  practise  has 
fallen  wholly  into  professional  hands — men  who  rise  from 
the  populace. 

But  'tis  time  to  ring  up  the  curtain  and  begin;  the  band 
is  playing,  the  audience  is  gathered,  and  ten  thousand 
people  make  a  vivacious  assemblage — laughter,  noise, 
merriment,  and  a  great  ebullition  of  life. 

First,  we  have  the  majestic  entry  of  the  cuadrilla  or 
whole  troop  who  make  the  circuit  of  the  arena  with  a 
proud  step,  to  the  strains  of  lively  music  and  the  plaudits 
of  the  audience :  they  are  dressed  in  every  costume  of  their 
profession — short  jacket,  knee  breeches,  silk  stockings, 
dainty  shoes,  jaunty  caps,  and  sashes  of  every  hue;  their 
apparel  is  red,  yellow,  green,  and  blue — of  velvet,  silk,  and 
fine  cloth,  and  covered  with  decorations  and  gold  embroid- 
ery. It  is  a  brilliant  scene  of  a  far  away  age  and  clime. 

Then  the  trumpet  sounds  and  the  decks  are  cleared  for 
action:  the  picadores  take  position  at  different  points  and 
stand  at  gaze;  the  banderilleros  and  capeadores  scatter 
about  the  ring;  and  the  matador  seeks  a  coign  of  vantage — 
as  well  as  of  refuge,  to  bide  his  time, 


146      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

The  bulls  are  kept  in  a  darkened  pen  under  the  seats, 
and  from  this  a  dark  passage  leads  to  a  door  opening  into 
the  ring;  one  bull  is  separated  from  the  rest  and  allowed  to 
seek  this  door.  At  a  blast  from  the  trumpet  the  door  was 
flung  open,  and  the  bull  rushed  into  the  arena:  there  he 
stood  for  a  second — bewildered — dazed  by  the  uproar  of 
the  multitude  and  dazzled  by  the  sunlight.  He  was  a 
fierce  animal — full  of  fire  and  fight.  Seeing  a  picador,  he 
rushed  for  him — head  down:  the  onslaught  was  sudden 
and  violent — the  man  failed  to  plant  his  lance  in  the  bull's 
neck,  and  the  latter  tore  his  horns  through  the  belly  of 
the  horse,  rolling  him  over  the  rider  on  the  ground.  In- 
stantly, the  capeadores  came  to  the  rescue — some  baited  the 
bull  with  their  capes  and  lured  him  away,  while  others 
helped  the  fallen  foe.  The  horse  was  killed  outright — 
his  entrails  burst  forth  in  a  mass,  and  the  man  was  seriously 
injured.  Meantime,  the  bull  went  for  another  picador; 
but  this  time  the  man  was  ready  and  powerful — he  planted 
the  lance  behind  the  horns,  arrested  the  bull's  career  and 
held  him  at  bay,  while  the  horns  grazed  the  horse's  breast. 
The  capeadores  were  on  hand  and  drew  off  the  bull  by 
waving  their  capes.  The  bull's  neck  was  streaming  with 
blood,  and  for  a  few  seconds  he  stood  undecided :  then  he 
made  another  dash  for  the  picador — struck  the  horse  in 
the  breast  and  upset  both  him  and  the  rider.  The  cape- 
adores  threw  themselves  again  into  the  breach;  and  after 
a  few  more  such  assaults,  the  picadores  withdrew,  and 
the  first  act  closed. 

Then  the  trumpet  sounded  again  and  the  banderilleros 
came  into  action.  One  of  them  took  a  banderilla  in  each 
hand,  and  at  a  distance  of  a  hundred  feet  or  more,  stood 
taunting  the  bull  to  attack.  He  did  not  have  to  wait  long — 


A  TRIP  ON  THE  OROYA  RAILROAD  147 

the  beast  came  on,  horns  down,  and  when  they  all  but 
touched  the  man,  the  latter  skillfully  planted  both  darts  in 
the  animal's  neck  and  nimbly  jumped  aside,  leaving  the 
bull  to  career  onward,  rearing  and  kicking  under  the  new 
goad,  while  blood  flowed  from  the  fresh  wounds.  A  sec- 
ond banderillero  repeated  the  manoeuvre  with  equal  skill; 
four  sharp  barbs  were  now  stuck  in  the  bull's  neck,  and  he 
writhed  and  bled  with  every  motion.  A  third  banderillero 
did  the  same:  he  planted  the  darts,  but  in  jumping  aside, 
he  tripped  and  fell;  and  before  he  could  rise,  or  the  cape- 
adores  assist  him,  the  bull  turned  and  gored  his  life  out. 
This  closed  the  second  act. 

The  trumpet  sounded  again,  and  the  matador  stepped 
proudly  into  the  arena — the  Toledo  blade  in  his  right  hand, 
the  red  flag  in  his  left.  It  was  now  bull  and  man  alone: 
but  the  man  was  fresh  for  the  fray,  while  the  bull  was 
weak  from  loss  of  blood,  weary  from  violent  effort,  and 
distracted  by  painful  wounds  and  harassing  barbs:  the 
contest  was  wholly  unequal.  For  a  moment  each  eyed 
the  other  intently  at  the  distance  of  a  hundred  yards :  then 
the  bull  rushed  furiously  at  the  man,  as  if  to  say,  "  Let  us 
end  it — either  you  or  I  die."  The  matador  stood  firm, 
and  just  as  the  horns  touched  him,  ran  the  sword  into  the 
neck — in,  in,  in,  until  it  touched  a  vital  spot,  when  the 
bull  stood  still — staggered — and  fell  on  all  fours :  for  a  sec- 
ond he  held  his  head  firmly  up,  then  it  dropped — he  was 
dead,  and  the  tumult  of  applause  that  rose  from  the 
spectators  was  deafening. 

With  variations  due  to  the  individuality  of  both  toreros 
and  toros — for  the  bulls,  too,  have  distinguishing  traits 
(they  fight  fiercely  or  shyly,  and  are  eager  for  combat  or 
recoil  from  it) — the  teasing,  torturing,  and  killing  went  on 


148      THE  VOYAGE  or  THE  WENONAH 

from  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  until  dusk;  eight  bulls 
in  all  were  slaughtered.  Funeral  obsequies  were  held  over 
each  carcass  as  soon  as  life  was  extinct — a  pair  of  gayly 
decorated  mules  were  driven  into  the  arena,  hitched  to  the 
lately  departed,  and  he  was  dragged  out.  His  flesh  was 
sold  for  food! 

It  would  be  curious  to  determine  how  much  of  his  expir- 
ing rage  and  mad  excitement  entered  the  organism  of  him 
who  fed  on  such  meat,  quivering  with  all  the  intensity  of 
the  most  savage  feelings  that  can  animate  man  or  beast ! 
Is  it  possible  that  a  sword  thrust  dispels  it  all  ?  It  would 
be,  I  say,  very  curious  to  ascertain  the  effect;  but  I  am  not 
one  to  try  it — as  soon  would  I  experiment  with  a  dog 
infected  with  the  rabies. 

I  think,  my  dear  Dan,  you  have  now  had  enough  of 
the  bull-fight;  at  least,  of  the  real  one.  When  we  see  it 
together,  it  will  be  by  suggestion — as  in  Carmen:  what  a 
magnificent  Toreador  Senor  Del  Puente  made  when  we 
saw  him  last !  Young,  agile,  handsome — I  see  his  grace- 
ful movements  now,  and  hear  his  sonorous  voice:  if  he 
ever  played  a  part  in  the  actual  ring,  'tis  sad  to  think  what 
a  host  of  bleeding  feminine  hearts  he  would  bear  with  him 
from  the  arena !  Peace  be  unto  ,  his  ashes ! — he  gave 
pleasure  to  many  a  one  in  his  day.  I  wonder  if  he  and 
Madame  Calve  ever  sang  together  in  Carmen?  She  as 
supple,  as  bewitching,  as  versatile,  as  handsome — as  real 
in  all  that  goes  to  make  up  the  ideal  Carmen,  as  he  was  the 
ideal  Toreador!  It  is  only  in  this  opera  that  I  shall  ever 
again  see  a  bull-fight. 

Your  sincere  friend, 

GEORGE  BROOKS. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  UNITED  STATES  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK: 
HOMEWARD  BOUND! 

Mais  enfin  le  matelot  crie: 
Terre!  terre!  la-bas,  voyez! 
Ah!  tous  mes  maux  sont  oublies. 
Salut  a  ma  patrie! 

— Beranger. 

As  a  rule,  the  Trade-winds  blow  steady  but  light  at 
Callao,  so  that  ships  generally  ride  in  a  southeasterly 
direction.  On  each  side  of  the  Adirondack  lay  ships-of- 
war  of  different  nationalities — French,  English,  German, 
and  Peruvian ;  and  when  the  wind  was  from  a  certain  point, 
these  swung  with  their  bows  in  alignment,  so  that  they 
formed  a  cosmopolitan  squadron  in  line  abreast. 

Sometimes,  however,  in  calms  or  variable  airs,  the  ves- 
sels headed  in  every  direction — an  international  mix-up. 

The  Wenonah  lay  on  the  port  quarter  of  the  Adirondack, 
close  aboard,  and  thus  had  a  good  view  of  all  that  occurred 
in  the  squadron. 

There  are  two  functions  on  every  ship-of-war  that  are 
carried  out  with  appropriate  ceremonial — hoisting  the 
colors  at  eight  in  the  morning,  and  hauling  them  down  at 
sunset:  at  the  former,  light  yards  are  crossed,  or  sail  loosed 
to  dry,  or  the  running  boats  for  the  day  lowered,  while  the 
ensign  goes  up;  the  band  plays  the  national  air  and  the 

149 


150      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

ship's  company  face  aft  and  take  off  their  caps.  At  the 
hauling  down  of  the  colors,  the  light  yards  are  sent  down, 
to 'gallant  masts  struck,  or  all  boats  hoisted,  with  the 
accompaniment  of  band  and  personal  salute  to  the  flag 
as  in  the  morning.  All  this  in  the  days  of  sail — alas,  gone! 

Where  ships  of  different  nations  are  assembled,  nautical 
courtesy  has  established  the  custom  of  hoisting  and  hauling 
down  the  colors  with  the  senior  officer  present :  the  Ameri- 
can Admiral  was  the  senior  here,  and  it  was  a  beautiful  sight 
to  see  these  engines  of  war  render  in  unison — each  in  its 
own  way — patriotic  tribute  to  the  ensign  at  its  peak.  The 
Adirondack  alone  had  a  band,  and  every  morning,  after 
the  strains  of  the  Star  Spangled  Banner  had  died  away, 
the  national  air  of  each  ship  was  played  in  the  order  of 
seniority  of  her  commanding  officer.  Such  is  the  courtesy 
of  the  sea. 

This  gathering  of  many  vessels  is  a  great  incentive  to 
proficiency :  each  crew  feels  it  is  in  full  view  of  all  the  others ; 
and  national,  nautical,  and  ship  pride  incite  it  to  expert- 
ness  and  celerity;  the  rivalry  of  the  race-horse  is  in  its 
blood — straining  to  distance  every  competitor. 

The  drills  and  routine  duties  of  the  Adirondack  formed  a 
great  source  of  interest  and  pleasure  to  the  people  on  the 
Wenonah,  and  became  almost  as  familiar  to  them  as  if 
carried  out  on  their  own  deck.  At  five  every  morning, 
reveille  was  sounded  by  fife  and  drum,  followed  by  the 
boatswain's  pipe  and  call  "All  hands — up  all  hammocks!" 
Up  they  tumbled  in  a  hurrying  throng — from  the  berth 
deck  and  the  gun  deck,  each  man  with  hammock  neatly 
lashed;  or  if  not,  he  was  sent  below  by  the  lieutenant  of 
the  watch  to  do  it.  They  stood  near  the  rail  and  passed 
their  hammocks  up  to  the  petty  officer  in  the  netting, 


THE  U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  151 

who  stowed  them  in  an  even  row — an  undulating  snow-line. 

Half  an  hour  for  coffee  and  smoke,  and  then,  "  Turn-to!" 
when  a  hum  of  busy  life  filled  the  ship — scrubbing,  cleans- 
ing, scouring:  they  scrubbed  their  clothes,  their  spare 
hammocks,  and  themselves;  they  scrubbed  the  decks,  the 
boats,  and  the  ship's  copper;  everything  was  cleaned, 
brightened,  and  polished,  until  by  eight  o'clock  (when  the 
color  evolution  took  place)  the  ship  shone  like  the  kitchen 
utensils  of  a  Dutch  house  wife;  and  all  things  were  in  as 
thorough  order  as  that  precise  dame  could  wish. 

Then  breakfast  for  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  during 
which  the  band  played  on  the  quarter  deck. 

Again,  "Turn-to!"  and  a  further  smoothing  out  of  all 
rumples  in  the  toilet  of  ship  and  crew — yards  were  squared, 
rigging  hauled  taut,  and  awnings  spread.  At  half  past 
nine,  quarters:  the  crew  being  divided  into  divisions,  as  a 
regiment  into  companies,  each  division  assembled  under 
its  own  officers — a  lieutenant  and  a  midshipman:  those 
stationed  at  the  battery,  on  the  gun  deck;  the  navigator's 
division,  on  the  spar  deck;  the  powder  division,  on  the 
berth  deck;  the  engineer's  force  in  the  engine  room;  and 
the  marines  on  the  quarter  deck.  The  size  of  the  divisions 
varied  from  forty  to  eighty  men.  The  Captain  and 
Executive  Officer  stood  on  the  starboard  side  of  the  quar- 
ter deck,  and  all  officers  wore  their  side  arms.  Each  lieu- 
tenant inspected  his  men  and  made  note  of  deficiencies 
in  personal  neatness  and  cleanliness:  he  reported  to  the 
Executive,  who  conveyed  all  reports  to  the  Captain. 

Then,  for  about  an  hour,  drill — varying  for  each  division 
according  to  the  routine  of  the  day — some,  at  the  battery, 
howitzers,  and  gatlings;  more,  at  the  manual  of  arms, 
company  and  skirmish  drill;  still  more,  with  revolvers, 


152  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

handling  torpedoes,  single  sticks,  and  setting  up — the  last 
a  kind  of  limbering  of  all  the  muscles.  When  drill  was 
over,  the  artisans  and  crew  began  various  kinds  of  work 
which  continued  until  noon :  then  all  hands  had  an  hour  for 
dinner. 

In  the  afternoon,  more  drill  and  work  until  four  o'clock: 
at  five,  supper.  The  band  played  on  the  gun  deck  during 
the  officers'  dinner  hour;  and  later,  for  the  men,  on  the 
spar  deck,  when  dancing,  song  and  story  formed  the 
amusement  of  various  groups  until  nine  o'clock:  then, 
"Tattoo — pipe  down!"  and  ail  was  hushed  for  the  night — 
snug  in  hammock  and  bunk,  save  the  officer  of  the  deck, 
the  quartermaster,  sentries,  and  anchor  watch. 

Such  was  an  ordinary  day;  but  every  few  days  some 
lengthy  exercise  took  place:  one  of  these  was  sail  drill, 
for  which  advantage  was  taken  of  a  clear  day  when  a  very 
light  breeze  was  blowing.  Sail  was  made  to  royals,  and 
the  yards  braced  up.  Then,  an  imaginary  gale  coming  on, 
sail  was  reduced  to  it — reefs  taken — and  more  reefs — 
storm  sails  and  preventer  braces  gotten  up — and  all  prep- 
arations made  for  heavy  weather,  until  eventually  the 
ship  lay-to  under  fore  storm  staysail,  close  reefed  maintop- 
sail,  and  storm  mizzen.  Finally,  everything  was  restored 
to  the  statu  quo  ante  exercitum;  and  it  was  a  sight  to  stir 
the  blood  of  even  a  landsman  to  see  the  celerity  and  skill 
of  the  whole  performance. 

Another  long  exercise,  which  even  in  those  days  was  not 
frequent,  was  the  following:  in  the  afternoon,  with  lower 
booms  out  and  boats  at  them,  light  yards  across  and  all 
sail  bent,  the  Captain  sent  word  to  the  Executive  to  call 
"All  hands  down  lower  yards  and  house  topmasts!" 

Every  officer  went  to  his  station.     The  light  yards  and 


THE  U.   S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  153 

topgallant  masts  were  sent  on  deck — all  sail  unbent — 
booms  rigged  in — boats  dropped  astern — top-pennants 
and  tackles  gotten  up — jeers  rove — topsail  yards  lowered 
on  forward  rim  of  top  and  lashed — topmasts  housed — and 
lower  yards  sent  down  to  rest  on  rail :  in  less  than  two  hours 
the  ship  looked  like  a  dilapidated  wreck,  everything  was 
so  dismantled.  The  next  morning  all  things  were  restored 
to  their  customary  places:  sail  made  to  royals;  yards 
braced  alternately  to  port  and  starboard — then  squared; 
everything  snugly  furled;  and  at  eight,  with  hoisting  the 
colors,  the  booms  were  rigged  out  and  boats  lowered  as 
usual. 

One  morning,  instead  of  routine  drills,  the  ship  was 
cleared  for  action,  when  all  top  hamper  was  sent  down  and 
every  article  of  equipment  not  essential  in  action,  was 
stowed  below;  canvas  was  spread  under  the  boats;  ham- 
mocks formed  into  fortifications  for  sharpshooters;  and 
the  battery  cast  loose  and  exercised.  A  fine  sight  the  gun 
deck  then  presented — an  open  vista,  full  of  armed  men 
grouped  in  crews  around  their  guns,  and  all  set  in  motion 
together  by  orders  from  the  Executive.  Then  the  rattle 
was  sprung — boarders  scrambled  through  every  hatch- 
way, revolver  and  cutlass  in  hand,  and  crouched  below 
the  rail,  ready  to  spring  at  the  word.  Next,  the  gong 
sounded,  and  pikemen  and  riflemen  hurried  to  form  lines 
behind  the  boarders,  their  weapons  couched  in  brisling 
barriers  over  the  rail.  "All  hands  repel  boarders!"  and 
everybody  with  every  available  arm  rushed  to  the  repulse. 
But  without  avail — the  enemy  gained  foothold  on  the  spar 
deck  and  fought  his  way  aft.  Then  the  gatlings  were 
wheeled  into  action  on  the  quarter-deck,  arid  the  crew 
retreated  behind  and  beside  them — a  solid  mass  of  bayonets 


154      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  cutlasses:  they  opened  fire  and  raked  the  deck — the 
attack  wavered — when,  "  Drive  the  enemy  over  the  bows!" 
and  with  a  rush,  all  charged  forward  with  bayonet,  cutlass, 
and  revolver,  and  cleared  the  deck.  It  was  an  exercise 
full  of  spirit  and  enthusiasm. 

Fire  quarters  was  a  regular  weekly  drill,  but  at  times, 
it  was  followed  by  "Abandon  Ship!"  At  the  Fire  drill, 
men  laid  into  the  tops  and  out  on  the  yards  to  draw  water 
in  buckets  in  case  of  fire  aloft;  others  formed  long  bucket 
lines  on  deck;  the  pumps  were  manned  and  several  streams 
of  water  thrown;  gangs  had  axes,  hatchets,  crowbars  and 
other  wrecking  tools;  a  squad  was  equipped  with  fire 
extinguishers ;  another  squad  had  bottles  of  liquid  to  throw 
on  the  flame;  sentries  guarded  all  boat  davits;  and  the 
gunner's  gang  was  ready  to  flood  the  magazines  and  shell 
rooms.  Then  on  the  supposition  that  the  fire  got  beyond 
control,  the  boatswain  was  ordered  to  call  "All  hands 
abandon  ship !"  Everything  was  dropped — boats  lowered 
and  hauled  under  gun  ports  where  they  were  quickly  pro- 
visioned and  equipped  with  the  necessaries  for  existence; 
and  then  every  officer  and  man  got  into  his  assigned  boat : 
they  formed  line  ahead,  pulled  around  the  ship,  returned 
and  discharged;  and  once  more  the  desolation  the  decks 
had  presented  during  their  absence  was  dispelled ;  and  life, 
order,  and  regularity  restored.  It  was  an  impressive  exer- 
cise performed  with  system. 

Another  drill  was  arming  all  boats  for  attack  upon  craft 
of  any  kind ;  and  still  another,  landing  the  gatlings  and  how- 
itzers as  artillery  in  combination  with  several  companies 
as  infantry  for  battalion  drill. 

The  most  picturesque  of  all  the  drills,  however,  was  fleet 
tactics  with  boats.  There  were  twelve  pulling  boats;  and 


THE  U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  155 

a  steam  launch,  from  which  the  manoeuvres  were  signalled : 
each  had  a  crew  of  ten  men,  coxswain,  and  officer  in  charge. 
When  equipped  and  ready,  they  formed  in  single  column, 
and  lay  on  their  oars :  then,  by  signal,  they  were  put  through 
a  series  of  evolutions — line  abreast,  double  column, 
echelon,  and  various  changes  of  front  and  course.  It  was 
a  beautiful  sight  to  see  them  move  together  and  maintain 
their  distances  from  each  other.  Finally,  they  were  formed 
in  line,  and  brought  to  a  stop:  signal  was  made,  "Toss 
oars!"  when  these  were  brought  to  a  vertical  position  with 
blades  fore  and  aft — a  pretty  sight.  Then,  "Boat  oars!" 
and  all  were  laid  together  on  the  thwarts.  Again,  signal, 
"Make  sail — close  hauled — port  tack!"  Instantly,  masts 
were  stepped,  sail  set,  alignment  corrected,  and  they  sped 
onward  in  line  abreast  under  the  impulse  of  a  good  breeze. 
Upon  signal  being  made,  "  Change  course  eight  points  to 
starboard!"  sheets  were  eased  off,  helms  put  up,  and  in  a 
moment  all  were  moving  in  single  column.  Again,  by 
signal,  they  hauled  by  the  wind,  tacked  together,  wore  in 
succession,  and  finally  returned  to  the  ship — a  race  to  test 
the  sailing  qualities  of  each  boat  and  the  seamanship  of 
her  officer. 

The  cleanliness  and  care  of  the  men  was  a  very  noticeable 
feature  of  the  Adirondack:  every  morning,  heavy  lines  of 
white  and  of  blue  clothing  were  hoisted  to  dry;  once  a  week, 
all  bedding  was  aired — hammocks  opened  and  mattresses 
spread  on  the  rail,  on  clothes  lines,  on  booms,  and  on  spars; 
once  a  month,  all  clothing  was  similarly  opened  and  aired ; 
and  once  a  quarter,  both  clothing  and  bedding  were  spread 
out  by  divisions  on  the  spar  and  gun  decks,  each  man  stood 
beside  his  belongings,  and  the  Captain  and  Executive 
Officer  inspected  them. 


156      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

On  the  first  Sunday  of  every  month  a  full  dress  muster 
was  held,  when  everybody — officer  and  man — appeared  in 
his  best:  all  gathered  on  the  quarter  deck — the  Articles 
for  the  Government  of  the  Navy  were  read  by  the  Execu- 
tive— and  the  crew  mustered;  as  each  man's  name  was 
called,  he  stepped  from  the  ranks  on  the  port  side,  took  off 
his  cap,  passed  around  the  capstan  and  went  forward 
after  close  scrutiny  by  the  Captain. 

Divine  service  was  held  every  Sunday,  at  which  those 
who  wished  to  do  so,  attended :  those  who  preferred  to  go 
to  church  ashore,  were  formed  into  parties  each  with  one 
of  its  number  in  charge,  and  set  ashore  in  the  steam  launch. 

Liberty  to  go  ashore  was  given  every  evening;  and  on 
Saturdays  and  Sundays,  according  to  behavior. 

Boat  races  were  held,  in  which  all  the  foreign  ships 
entered,  and  which  afforded  intense  excitement  and  rivalry. 

Dancing  took  place  every  evening,  and  minstrel  per- 
formances occurred  periodically. 

In  all  this,  there  was  life,  movement,  vitality,  emulation, 
and  a  spur  to  interest  and  exertion:  the  personal  element 
entered  everywhere,  and  was  the  directing,  achieving 
power  upon  which  success  or  failure  mainly  depended; 
but  now  with  sails  practically  abolished,  the  stimulus  to 
the  topman  is  gone — there  is  no  longer  the  elation  of  the 
fore  beating  the  main,  nor  is  there  the  pride  of  weathering 
a  gale  by  reefing  down  and  making  everything  snug. 
No:  the  modern  monster  of  steel  plunges  right  into  the 
teeth  of  any  storm,  and  the  sailor  takes  it  easy  in  the  lee 
of  some  superstructure.  He  is  not  called  upon  to  brave 
foul  weather,  and  so  it  browbeats  him:  he  is  not  the  pro- 
duct of  fierce  struggle  with  it — a  hardy,  hardened,  cou- 
rageous fighter,  who  watches  with  grim  pleasure  its  approach 


THE  U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  157 

for  he  feels  he  can  baffle  it  with  his  strength  and  skill. 
Furthermore,  the  substitution  of  mechanical  devices  has 
rendered  human  endeavor  secondary  in  all  the  arteries 
of  modern  war  ships :  the  personal  effort  has  been  dwarfed 
by  bloodless,  nerveless,  fleshless,  brainless  force — Elec- 
tricity, steam,  and  hydraulic  power,  whose  whole  aim  and 
tendency  is  to  ensure  results  with  deadly  precision  and 
rapidity.  The  old  order  was  effective  in  its  day — the  new 
is  essential  to  the  present;  but  it  is  a  regrettable  fact  that 
with  the  change  much  of  the  personal  element — the 
emulation  and  enthusiasm  that  diversify  the  sailor's  life, 
should  have  to  disappear.  When  there  is  no  sail  exercise 
to  give  play  to  his  bold  manhood,  either  in  drill,  or  to 
weather  a  gale,  many  of  his  affections  fail  to  take  deep  root : 
the  cold  steel  with  which  he  has  to  deal  is  not  a  fertile  soil 
— he  does  not  warm  to  it  as  towards  a  topsail,  a  boat,  and 
a  gun  that  formed  part  of  a  harmonious  whole. 

It  is  a  lonely  feeling  one  has  in  a  foreign  land  when  he 
hears  only  a  strange  tongue  from  day  to  day:  he  craves  the 
companionship  that  can  come  only  from  his  native  speech; 
and  when  he  hears  this,  it  is  with  an  eager  grip  he  seizes 
the  friendly  hand  and  gives  utterance  to  his  pent  up 
feelings.  From  such  a  condition  it  was  that  the  Captain 
and  passengers  of  the  Wenonah  fraternized  with  the 
officers  of  the  Adirondack,  and  each  found  pleasure  in  the 
other's  company. 

Doctor  Austin,  Brooks,  and  Mr.  Northrup  spent  many 
evenings  with  the  officers  smoking  on  the  gun  deck  while 
the  band  played;  Mrs.  Austin,  Adeline,  and  Marguerite 
were  frequently  taken  out  sailing  in  one  of  the  ship's  boats; 
and  all  were  invited  to  dinner,  to  luncheon,  and  to  dancing 
parties  on  afternoons  when  the  society  of  Lima  and  Callao 


158      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

as  well  as  the  officers  of  the  foreign  vessels  were  gathered 
on  the  Flagship:  these  entertainments  (which  were  re- 
turned in  such  way  as  Captain  Colburn  and  his  passengers 
could  find  means  to  do)  cemented  the  good  feeling  between 
both  ships. 

Toward  the  end  of  her  stay,  the  Adirondack  had  her 
quarterly  target  practice,  and  the  party  from  the  Wenonah 
were  invited  to  see  it.  They  gladly  accepted,  and  the 
morning  of  the  event,  after  an  early  breakfast,  they  went 
on  board.  At  eight  o'clock  the  Adirondack  got  underway 
and  steamed  a  few  miles  outside  the  shipping  where  the 
firing  was  to  take  place.  The  target — a  canvas  screen — 
had  been  anchored  the  evening  before  at  one  corner  of 
an  equilateral  triangle,  the  other  two  corners  being  marked 
by  buoys:  to  these,  boats  now  pulled  with  a  midshipman 
in  each  provided  with  instruments  for  observing  the  fall 
of  the  projectiles.  All  fires  and  lights  were  extinguished 
(except  those  under  the  boilers)  on  board  the  Adirondack. 

At  nine  o'clock,  "Beat  to  general  quarters!"  Captain 
Colburn  and  Brooks  had  seen  this  many  a  time;  but  to 
Mr.  Northrup  and  Doctor  Austin  and  his  family  it  was  a 
novel  and  most  interesting  sight :  the  throng  of  men  hurry- 
ing to  and  fro,  each  intent  on  his  own  duty — all  apparent 
confusion,  but  in  reality  complete  system.  Within  a  few 
minutes,  all  was  ready — battery  cast  loose — crews  armed 
and  at  their  guns — powder  division  in  magazine — shot 
and  shell  at  hand — and  everybody  at  his  station :  the  activ- 
ity ceased,  and  silence  fell  upon  the  ship. 

The  Executive  Officer  was  on  the  bridge  to  carry  on  the 
practice  under  direction  of  the  Captain;  the  Navigator  near 
the  helm  to  direct  the  ship's  course;  and  a  Midshipman 
with  sextant  in  the  maintop  to  determine  the  range.  The 


The  U.  S.  Flagship  Adirondack 


THE  U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  159 

ship's  speed  was  about  seven  knots:  she  had  just  passed  the 
first  boat,  heading  for  the  second,  when  the  Executive 
gave  the  order — "Commence  firing!"  An  explosion  and 
flash!  and  the  forward  gun  of  the  battery  sent  a  shell  to 
the  target,  a  thousand  yards  off:  it  burst  close  to  it:  other 
shells  from  other  guns  followed  in  quick  succession  and 
burst  near  enough  to  the  target  to  make  short  work  of  any 
craft  that  might  be  there.  By  the  time  the  ship  reached 
the  second  boat,  the  whole  starboard  battery  had  been 
fired,  and  everything  was  enveloped  in  smoke.  The  day 
was  clear  and  bright  with  a  light  breeze.  The  firing  ceased, 
the  ship  passed  on,  made  a  turn,  again  crossed  the  firing 
line  for  the  port  battery  to  fire;  and  so  alternately  back 
and  forth  to  bring  each  battery  to  bear,  until  a  number 
of  rounds  had  been  fired  by  every  gun. 

After  watching  the  flight  of  the  first  few  shells,  the  vis- 
itors betook  themselves  to  the  gun  deck — the  scene  of  real 
activity:  there  were  the  gun  crews  armed  with  cutlass 
and  revolver,  or  battle-axe,  each  crew  grouped  around  its 
gun,  and  the  whole  battery  in  various  stages  of  action — 
this  gun  loading;  another  running  out;  a  third  training — 
side  tackles  in  hand — every  eye  upon  the  gun  captain, 
who,  cool,  and  deliberate,  motioned  the  right  tackle  or  the 
left  to  haul  handsomely,  while  with  lock-string  in  hand 
and  eye  ranging  along  sights  and  target,  he  caught  the 
critical  juncture,  and  then,  "Ready — fire!"  when  every- 
thing dropped — a  crash — the  gun  recoiled — and  all  peered 
through  the  port  to  see  the  result. 

It  was  a  vivid  spectacle — guns  running  out,  training, 
recoiling;  powder  boys  hurrying  with  charges;  shellmen 
bringing  up  projectiles;  the  gun  captain's  voice  of  com- 
mand; the  frequent  noise  of  discharge;  the  men's  faces 


160      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

smutty  with  powder;  and  all  dimly  seen  through  a  sul- 
phurous smoke  that  filled  the  deck — a  scene  of  the  Inferno ! 

The  exercise  was  finished  by  three  in  the  afternoon  and 
the  ship  returned  to  her  old  berth. 

About  two  weeks  after  the  Wenonah  had  arrived  at 
Callao,  there  occurred  one  of  those  events  which  periodi- 
cally take  place  in  many  a  port  of  the  world — the  departure 
of  a  ship-of-war  for  home  after  an  absence  of  three  years : 
the  Adirondack  was  on  the  eve  of  sailing. 

There  is  much  of  hardship,  privation,  and  vexation 
in  the  life  of  the  officer  as  well  as  of  the  seaman  in  the  Navy. 

It  is  not  always  the  waxed  deck,  canopied  with  varie- 
gated bunting,  bright  with  colored  electric  lights,  flashing 
with  weapons  of  strife  formed  into  fantastic  figures — the 
band  playing,  and  beautifully  attired  women  and  brilliant 
uniforms  winding  in  and  out  through  the  mazes  of  the 
dance. 

This,  however,  is  the  side  most  seen  by  those  who  see 
much  at  all  of  life  on  board:  but  there  is  a  reverse  to  the 
picture;  and  while  it  is  most  in  view  during  the  cruise,  it 
is  generally  veiled  or  turned  to  the  wall  on  entering  port. 
On  the  dark  side  we  have  the  debilitating  heat  of  Tropical 
climes  or  the  rigors  of  northern  cold;  the  region  infected 
with  malarial  disease;  the  semi-savage  parts  of  the  world, 
where  life  is  little  more  of  an  existence  than  the  rank 
vegetation  that  grows  in  the  vicinity;  the  isolation  from 
all  that  is  ennobling,  congenial,  or  enjoyable;  the  sub- 
sistence on  unpalatable,  coarse  food;  the  close  restraint 
to  ship  limits ;  and  above  all,  the  long  and  anxious  separa- 
tion from  home  and  family.  Many  a  tear  was  shed  at 
parting;  and  many  a  sad  hour  has  been  spent  during  the 
cruise  as  the  mail  brought  painful  tidings.  Death  has 


THE  U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  161 

been  in  some  home,  yea,  even  more  harrowing  than  death 
— the  long  and  wasting  disease  that  drags  on  and  on  only 
to  claim  its  emaciated  victim  on  the  eve  of  return  of  him 
who  has  with  pain  followed  its  progress  in  every  letter 
throughout  the  years.  Can  any  one  wonder  at  the  feel- 
ing of  relief  that  fills  the  heart  as  the  day  draws  near  to 
end  all  this  ? 

Then  there  are  the  petty  differences  that  arise  in  closely 
associated  communities.  Individual  traits — the  repellant 
personality  as  well  as  the  attractive  one — assert  themselves 
on  board  ship  as  in  every  body  of  men :  the  selfish,  aggres- 
sive nature;  the  taunting  cynic;  the  mean,  spiteful  tongue; 
the  plausible,  crafty  person — all  these,  the  instigators  of 
strife,  discord,  and  unhappiness — are  found  in  wardroom 
and  forecastle  alike,  equally  with  the  generous,  frank,  and 
cheerful  man,  with  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to  live.  The 
stings  of  these  human  gnats  inflame  the  sensibilities:  the 
wounds  fester  and  grow  more  sore  with  each  new  stab, 
until  toward  the  end  of  the  cruise  the  victim  longs  for 
release  from  them.  As  truly  said  by  a  classic  writer  on 
life  at  sea,  "  C'est  les  petites  misere  intestines  qui  remplis- 
sent  lentement  le  vase  de  degouts,  et  finissent  quelquefois 
par  le  faire  deborder." 

The  man  cooped  up  three  years  in  their  midst  yearns 
for  other  faces,  for  more  varied  topics  of  conversation,  for 
new  veins  of  thought,  for  wholly  different  surroundings. 
With  one  or  more  he  associates  only  under  stress:  ashore, 
he  would  have  naught  to  do  with  him;  but  on  board,  he 
must — perhaps  even  receive  orders  from  him — because 
the  mandate  of  a  common  superior  places  both  in  these 
intimate  relations. 

It  is  in  the   communal   life  that   coteries  and  cliques 
11 


162      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

flourish  and  do  their  most  vindictive  work — where  jealous- 
ies arise  and  become  most  spiteful — where  prejudices 
have  abundant  growth  and  inflict  the  meanest  injustice: 
and  is  it  any  wonder  that  he  who  suffers  from  all  such 
should  anxiously  look  for  the  day  of  surcease — when  the 
flag  is  hauled  down  for  the  last  time  and  the  ship  is  put 
out  of  commission  ? 

The  day  of  departure  had  come;  and  when  the  colors 
were  hoisted  at  eight  o'clock,  there  was  rounded  up  to  the 
main  royal  truck  of  the  Adirondack  a  bundle,  which,  when 
broken,  let  fall  a  streamer  that  floated  five  hundred  feet 
in  the  morning  breeze — the  homeward  bound  pennant! 
The  band  played  as  usual  the  national  airs  of  every  ship 
present,  and  then  a  series  of  operatic  selections. 

All  was  quiet  until  nine — it  was  the  breakfast  hour — 
but  then  a  lively  scene  spread  upon  the  water:  the  ship 
was  to  get  underway  at  half  past  ten,  and  gigs  and  cutters 
pulled  from  every  vessel  toward  the  Adirondack — their 
captains  and  ward-room  officers  coming  to  bid  farewell  to 
those  about  to  sail. 

After  the  visitors  went  on  board,  the  boats  lay  on  their 
oars  off  the  starboard  side  and  astern — presenting  an 
animated  scene  of  variegated  flags,  rising  and  falling  and 
variously  undulating  with  every  movement  of  the  water. 
On  board,  in  cabin  and  ward-room,  conviviality  reigned 
— an  effervescence  of  good  feeling  in  accord  with  the 
sparkling  wine  that  filled  the  parting  glass.  Conversa- 
tion was  lively,  and  shreds  of  English,  French,  and  Spanish 
floated  in  the  air  from  different  groups — regrets  at  parting, 
reminiscences  of  events  enjoyed  together,  and  hopes  of 
meeting  again  in  some  other  quarter  of  the  globe. 

The  day  was  clear  with  a  gentle  breeze  blowing  from 


THE  U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  163 

the  southeast,  and  not  a  vestige  was  in  the  sky  of  the 
damp  fog  that  so  often  enshrouds  Callao  Harbor. 

At  length,  the  last  boat  had  gone,  the  gangway  ladder 
was  whipped  in,  and  then  resounded  throughout  the  ship 
the  shrill  pipe  of  the  boatswain  and  his  mates,  followed  by 
the  call — "  All  hands  up  anchor  for  home!" 

Instantly  arose  the  activity  of  a  bee-hive. 

The  Admiral,  Captain,  and  Executive  Officer  repaired 
to  the  after-bridge — the  first,  chiefly  as  an  onlooker;  the 
Captain,  to  direct  affairs;  and  the  Executive  (trumpet  in 
hand)  to  get  the  ship  underway.  The  Navigator  went  to 
his  place  to  pilot  the  ship  out.  The  senior  Lieutenant 
took  station  on  the  forecastle;  the  second  and  third  Lieu- 
tenants on  the  starboard  and  port  sides  respectively,  near 
the  mainmast;  the  fourth  Lieutenant  at  the  mizzen; 
and  the  fifth  Lieutenant  on  the  gun  deck  to  attend  at  the 
capstan  and  chain.  Midshipmen  were  assigned  as  assist- 
ants to  these,  and  also  as  a  signal  officer  over  the  quarter- 
masters. 

The  ready-men  were  sent  aloft  (the  ship  was  to  get  under- 
way under  sail  alone) ;  more  men  were  preparing  the  gear 
on  deck;  and  every  one  of  the  five  hundred  constituting 
the  crew  was  at  his  station.  The  bars  were  shipped  and 
manned — the  capstan  whirled  round — and  the  chain  came 
rapidly  in  to  a  lively  tune  on  fife  and  drum.  At  the  report 
— "Short  stay,  sir!"  the  order  came  from  the  bridge, 
"Avast  heaving!"  and  then  the  boatswain  piped,  "All 
hands  make  sail !"  The  men  sprang  into  the  rigging  and 
stood  on  the  sheer  poles:  a  pause,  and  then  the  following 
orders  were  given  by  the  Executive  officer:  "Aloft  sail- 
loosers!"  and  the  men  started  quickly  up  the  rigging. 
"  Lay  out  and  loose!" — they  spread  upon  the  yards,  cast 


164       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

off  the  gaskets  and  held  up  the  sail,  while  those  on  deck 
kept  a  turn  of  the  gear,  ready  to  throw  it  off. 

"Let  fall — sheet  home — and  hoist  away  the  topsails!" 
when,  as  if  by  magic,  the  ship  was  shrouded  in  canvas, 
falling  from  every  yard  in  graceful  folds.  The  men 
scrambled  down  from  aloft — some,  by  long  stretches  in 
the  ratlines — others,  hand  over  hand  down  the  lifts — and 
more  by  seizing  upon  a  rope  and  coming  down  with  it — 
on  the  run.  The  clews  were  quickly  hauled  out,  and  a 
hundred  men  double-banked  the  halliards  and  ran  the 
topsails  up.  Then  the  top  gallant  sails  and  royals  were 
set,  the  spanker  hauled  out,  and  the  gear  of  the  head  sails 
led  along. 

"Lay  aft  to  the  braces:  port  head — starboard  main — 
port  cross-jack  braces!'*  and  the  after  yards  were  braced 
up  on  the  port  tack,  the  head  yards  abox. 

"Man  the  bars — heave  round!"  A  final  tug  at  the 
anchor,  which,  though  stubbornly  held  by  the  mud,  was 
soon  wrenched  from  its  grasp  by  strength  that  was  anxious 
to  get  away.  The  anchor  tripped,  and  slowly  the  Adir- 
ondack turned  to  starboard.  The  head  sails  were  run 
up  to  assist  the  movement,  and  the  helm  set  for  sternboard. 
Meanwhile,  the  anchor  was  run  up  and  catted. 

The  after-sails  began  to  draw — the  head  yards  were 
braced  around — the  helm  righted — spanker  sheet  hauled 
in — and  a  gentle  breeze  soon  filled  every  sail :  the  ship  was 
about  to  start  on  her  twenty  thousand  mile  run — to  Japan 
— to  Singapore — to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope — to  St.  Helena 
— to  New  York!  The  band  on  the  quarter  deck  played 
"Home,  Sweet  Home,"  and  every  heart  felt  a  yearning 
thrill.  Suddenly,  a  signal  of  the  international  code  was 
broken  at  the  mast  head— "Good  bye!" 


THE  U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  ADIRONDACK  165 

In  response  appeared  a  signal  of  the  same  code  at  the 
mast  head  of  every  man-of-war  in  harbor,  which — how- 
ever worded  in  German,  English,  French,  or  Spanish,  had 
the  common  sentiment  of  good  feeling — "Bon  voyage!" 

Then  the  Frenchman  manned  the  rigging  and  gave  three 
hearty  cheers,  which  were  quickly  followed  by  others 
from  the  Englishman,  the  German,  and  the  Peruvian. 

The  cheer  is  the  embodiment  of  American  good  feeling; 
so  when  the  Gaul,  the  Briton,  the  Spaniard  and  the 
Teuton  had  each  exhibited  his  cultivation  of  this  exotic 
plant,  the  American  rose  to  the  grandeur  of  his  native 
outburst — he  swarmed  in  the  rigging,  he  blackened  the 
rail,  he  filled  the  tops,  and  rent  the  air  with  three  times 
three  and  a  tiger,  tossing  many  a  cap  skyward  to  intensify 
his  enthusiasm. 

By  this  time,  the  Adirondack  had  come  abreast  the 
Wenonah,  as  if  for  a  final  hand  shake;  it  was  given — 
metaphorically — and  with  a  hearty  grip.  Captain  Col- 
burn,  his  officers  and  passengers  stood  on  the  poop  waving 
adieus  with  hat,  cap,  and  handkerchief;  while  the  crew 
manned  the  rigging  and  cheered,  and  the  ensign  was 
dipped  again  and  again. 

Another  round  of  cheers  from  the  Flagship — the  "Girl 
I  left  behind  me"  by  the  band,  and  the  Adirondack  stood 
out  past  the  shipping — the  throng  on  her  decks  light- 
hearted  and  happy. 


CHAPTER  XI 

ON  THE  LONELY  SOUTH  PACIFIC 
TOWARD  CAPE  HORN 

American  Ship  Wenonah, 
Latitude  13°  20'  south,  longitude  80°  15'  west. 

My  dear  Dan:  I  hope  the  tenor  of  this  letter  will  not  be 
melancholy,  as  the  above  heading  portends;  but  I'll  let 
that  stand,  as  it  tells  briefly  where  we  are,  and  whither 
bound. 

I  wrote  to  you  from  Callao  about  a  trip  I  made  up  the 
Oroya  Railroad,  and  a  bull-fight  I  saw  in  Lima;  now  I 
will  endeavor  to  give  you  a  view  of  life  on  board  here, 
but  despair  of  throwing  much  lightsomeness  into  my  mood 
— the  crop  of  incidents  is  meagre.  We  are,  in  truth,  upon 
a  waste  of  waters :  traffic  is  confined  either  to  the  coast  or 
to  narrow  belts  well  out  to  sea;  and  all  else  is  arid  of  life. 
From  the  coast  of  South  America  west  to  Australia  is  the 
great  Sahara  of  the  ocean,  so  far  as  the  wings  of  commerce 
take  flight;  the  caravan  routes  of  the  sea  between  Cape 
Horn  and  California  alone  exist,  and  only  on  them  is  one 
ever  likely  to  meet  a  sail. 

I  shall  divide  my  epistle,  not  into  installments  by  days, 
but  (as  the  French  would  say)  into  etapes — halting  places 
spaced  apart  according  to  the  inclination  to  write;  and  one 
day  or  many  may  intervene  between  stations:  in  order 
that  you  may  follow  us,  I  will  set  up  sign  posts  of  latitude 
and  longitude  along  our  route. 

166 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  167 

We  left  Callao  two  days  ago,  in  cheery  sunshine,  under 
sail,  and  with  a  good  breeze;  and  are  now  standing  out 
on  the  port  tack,  with,  however,  the  yards  braced  in  a  point 
to  get  better  speed.  We  shall  be  in  the  Southeast  Trades 
several  days  and  so  shall  hold  this  tack  during  that  time: 
it  means  days  of  somnolent  motion — rising  and  falling  to 
the  long  Pacific  swell,  and  lulled  by  the  gentle  airs  that 
have  such  a  velvety  touch. 

Soon  after  leaving  harbor,  we  ran  into  the  densest  of 
Callao  fogs,  which  gave  us  a  parting  saturation  until 
night-fall;  it  was  chill  and  dismal:  at  midnight  it  cleared 
up — yesterday  was  fine — and  to-day  is  superb,  but  alas! 
there  is  little  wind. 

The  first  days  out  after  a  long  stay  in  port  are,  as  you 
know,  like  one's  return  home  from  a  summer  trip — a  clean- 
ing of  everything  that  has  become  covered  with  dust,  and 
a  connecting  of  all  the  threads  of  routine  that  had  been 
severed;  the  laundry  and  the  grocer  and  the  butcher  and 
the  various  other  purveyors  of  household  needs  must  again 
be  established  in  their  periodic  trips:  and  so,  on  board, 
the  daily  scrubbing  and  cleansing  and  inspection  and 
exercise  in  the  several  drills  must  be  renewed ;  all  stranded 
ropes  of  ship  routine  must  be  spliced  anew,  and  all  separ- 
ated joints  of  discipline  welded  afresh.  And  such  has 
been  going  on  since  we  left  port,  so  that  now  everything  is 
ship-shape  again;  and  order,  discipline,  and  exercise  go 
on  as  if  there  had  been  no  break. 

Our  little  band  of  passengers  are  most  inquisitive — 
they  see  everything  wherever  we  go:  I'll  guarantee  they 
know  more  about  Callao  than  many  a  native;  and  yet 
they  offend  nobody  by  their  prying  and  questioning;  but 
on  the  contrary,  go  about  it  in  a  delicate  way,  like  the 


168      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

doctor,  who  with  a  soft  touch  on  your  pulse,  ferrets  out 
your  inmost  working  by  a  pleasant  manner  and  sympa- 
thetic question.  In  our  peregrinations  we  went  aboard 
all  the  foreign  ships-of-war  in  Callao  Harbor,  and  so  keen 
were  our  passengers  in  their  scrutiny,  and  intelligent  in 
their  questioning,  that  if  you  wanted  to  know  the  peculiari- 
ties of  a  French,  a  German,  or  an  English  ship-of-war, 
none  could  give  a  more  concise  and  accurate  answer  than 
Mr.  Northrup,  or  Doctor  Austin  and  his  wife. 

The  foreigners  treated  us  with  "  distinguished  considera- 
tion"; so,  to  return  their  hospitality,  just  before  sailing  we 
invited  the  Captains,  Executive  and  other  officers  to  break- 
fast on  the  Wenonah:  we  called  the  meal  by  that  name, 
but  it  took  place  at  noon  and  was  in  every  sense  a  square 
American  dinner — from  soup,  through  fish,  flesh  and  fowl, 
to  coffee  and  cigars.  The  Germans  of  the  party  spoke 
English,  so  there  was  no  difficulty  in  entertaining  them: 
the  British  officers  spoke  English,  too;  but  with  so  many 
abrupt  hitches — short,  disjointed,  ejaculatory  grunts,  and 
quickly  uttered  bob-tailed  words,  that  I  must  in  all  candor 
declare  that  the  deliberate  Ollendorffian  enunciation  of 
the  Teutons  was  more  easily  understood.  The  French- 
men were  as  easily  at  home  as  in  Paris;  for  there  was 
Marguerite  to  whom  their  tongue  in  all  its  charming 
sinuosities  is  native;  and  Mrs.  Austin  and  Adeline  scarcely 
less  facile  with  it ;  then  Mr.  Northrup  spoke  it  correctly  if 
not  fluently;  and  as  for  the  Doctor  and  me — well,  we're 
not  boasting  of  our  linguistic  acquisitions,  but  the  quick 
witted  Frenchmen  understood  us,  and — we  understood 
them.  I  pass  by  the  viands  and  service — both  did  credit 
to  American  hospitality  and  taste  (albeit  the  purveyors 
are  Japs) — and  I  come  to  only  two  dishes  which  wrought 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  169 

the  guests  up  to  enthusiasm — the  coffee  and  a  sweet- 
potatoe  pie!  The  coffee  was  from  Cuzco — rich  and  oily, 
and  with  an  aroma  and  flavor  that  simply  made  all  smack 
their  lips  with  the  unctuous  savour.  But  the  potatoe  pie 
— that  was  my  piece  de  resistance,  and  none  did  resist  it — 
even  a  full  quarter  section:  each  pre-empted  it  with  the 
eagerness  of  a  claim  jumper  on  a  mining  lode.  But  think 
of  it — pie  for  breakfast !  and  for  a  Frenchman ! 

Well,  I  pride  myself  on  that  pie — I  taught  the  Jap 
steward  how  to  make  it:  take  boiled  sweet  potatoes,  eggs, 
and  cream — beat  all  together,  bake  (no  top  crust),  saturate 
with  old  Maryland  rye  and  sprinkle  with  powdered  sugar. 

It  was  a  happy  meal — all  enjoyed  it — and  our  guests 
went  away  full  of  joviality  and  good  feeling,  which  we 
heartily  reciprocated.  And  so  endeth  the  first  etape. 

Latitude  15°  30'  south,  longitude  84°  10'  west. 

Truly,  my  dear  Dan,  the  vicissitudes  of  a  sailor  are 
remarkable:  you  remember  I  told  you  that  when  I  was  on 
the  Minnetonka,  Flagship  of  the  China  Squadron,  the 
Weehawken  came  out  to  relieve  us;  well,  I  find  here  a 
boatswain — Ned  Gower  by  name — who  was  captain  of  the 
maintop  on  the  Weehawken  when  I  was  boatswain's  mate 
on  the  Minnetonka,  and  here  we  meet  after  ten  years. 
Then,  shortly  afterward,  you,  as  cabin  boy,  rounded  Cape 
Horn  with  me  in  the  Clipper  ship  Everglade ;  and  to-day 
you  are  a  bright  marine  reporter  for  a  leading  San  Francisco 
paper,  while  I  am  on  my  way  East  in  quest  of  literary 
ventures.  Truly  do  our  courses  seem  without  guiding 
star — haphazard ! 

I  told  you  we  are  going  through  the  inland  channels  of 
Patagonia;  it  is  a  most  unusual  route  for  merchant  vessels, 


170      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

though  frequently  taken  by  ships-of-war.  Our  Captain 
has  never  been  over  it,  but  every  day  he  spends  some  time 
reading  it  up  and  studying  the  charts.  We  have  a  volume 
of  Spanish  sailing  directions  on  board  which  I  am  reading; 
and  after  deducting  a  fair  percentage  for  the  innate 
hyperbole  of  the  language,  there  still  remains  a  terrifying 
picture  of  what  one  may  expect  in  those  channels.  Here 
are  a  few  extracts:  "  El  tiempo  es  incontestablemente  muy 
malo,  y  es  probable  que  en  ninguna  parte  del  globo 
frecuentada  por  el  hombre  se  esperimenta  un  tiempo  peor 
en  todo  el  curso  del  ano.  Invierno  y  verano  son  sema- 
jantes:  la  lluvia,  la  nieve,  el  granizo,  y  el  viento  solo  se 
ausentan  por  periodos  breves.  .  .  .  Las  observaciones 
heehas  abordo  de  la  Sylvia  [a  British  surveying  vessel]  dan 
una  media  de  once  horas  diarias  de  lluvia,  nieve,  y  granizo 
durante  los  seis  meses  comprendidos  entre  Octubre  y 
Abril.  .  .  .  Las  observaciones  de  la  Nassau  [also  a 
British  surveying  vessel]  dan  un  resultado  semajante.  .  .  . 
El  viento  reinante  es  el  del  norte,  y  algunas  veces  sopla 
con  gran  furia.  ...  El  caracter  peculiar  del  tiempo  en 
estos  canales  no  se  distingue  por  una  escesiva  fuerza  de 
viento,  sino  como  antes  se  ha  dicho,  por  la  lluvia  casi 
constante." 

Now,  this  is  not  the  inflated  writing  of  a  tourist,  but  the 
precise  description  of  what  trustworthy  seamen  have 
experienced.  Swift  currents — hidden  rocks — entangling 
kelp — drenching  rain — violent  squalls — devious  canals — 
thick  weather — rocks — shoals! — all  which  I  find  from 
other  parts  of  the  sailing  directions.  I  must  say  the  pros- 
pect is  not  pleasing;  but  with  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
conditions,  and  the  skill  to  meet  them — which  is  the 
equipment  of  our  prudent  Captain — I  have  no  doubt  we 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  171 

shall  get  through  safe.  The  foregoing  description  is 
applicable  to  all  the  Patagonian  Channels  and  the  Straits 
of  Magellan  that  connect  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  through 
the  lower  part  of  the  South  American  Continent.  The 
length  of  our  route  through  them  is  about  seven  hundred 
miles,  and  it  will  take  several  days  to  traverse  it,  on  account 
of  having  to  anchor  every  night:  navigation  in  the  dark 
would  be  dangerous,  if  not  impossible;  and  there  are 
few  lights,  buoys,  or  other  aids  to  it,  in  the  channels 
proper. 

And  this  leads  me  to  the  thought  (you  know  I  am  ever 
disposed  to  moralize),  that  it  is  not  in  the  easy  flow  of 
life — midst  sunshine  and  green  fields,  the  warble  of  birds 
and  perfume  of  flowers — that  manly  qualities  are  culti- 
vated and  character  formed:  no,  but  in  the  rough  and 
tumble  of  life,  as  in  the  violence  of  nature's  forces  on  the 
sea;  or  in  the  fierce  contention  of  human  activities  ashore; 
where  you  have  to  struggle  with  all  your  might  to  keep 
from  being  swamped  by  their  fury. 

I  bought  some  Spanish  books  in  Lima  to  while  away 
an  odd  hour  on  this  long  passage :  they  are  chiefly  transla- 
tions from  the  French,  and  therefore  more  easily  under- 
stood than  if  original — the  briars  of  native  idiom  or  the 
thorns  of  provincialism  do  not  crop  up  in  every  sentence 
to  scratch  your  interest  and  tax  your  ingenuity  to  unravel 
their  meaning.  As  a  rule,  French  novels  are  full  of  moral 
shoals  and  quick-sands — 'tis  well  to  give  them  a  wide  berth : 
the  pleasure  they  afford  does  not  compensate  for  the 
danger  run. 

Since  my  last  etape,  we  have  had  fine,  peaceful  weather 
and  gentle  breezes. 

At  Callao  little  could  be  done  toward  the  systematic 


172  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

cleaning  of  the  ship — airing  bedding  and  scrubbing  clothes 
and  blankets:  the  frequent  fog  kept  everything,  even  the 
person,  in  a  state  of  half  mould;  but  during  these  genial 
days  the  Captain  is  having  a  general  house  cleaning  and 
airing;  and  with  these  occupations  and  the  daily  inspec- 
tions, exercises,  repairs,  and  reeving  off  new  gear,  this 
little  community  is  kept  busy — no  idle  hours  for  socialistic 
visions. 

Latitude  22°  30'  south,  longitude  90°  30'  west. 

To-day  we  are  about  eleven  hundred  miles  southwest  of 
Callao,  and  several  days  out  from  port;  for  the  winds  have 
often  been  light:  the  last  two  days,  however,  they  have 
no  longer  been  the  dry,  mild  Trades ;  but  boisterous,  damp, 
and  squally,  with  a  rough  sea.  The  ship  does  a  good  deal 
of  pitching  and  rolling,  but  more  of  that  combined  motion 
called  corkscrew. 

We  are  approaching  a  region  where  many  of  our  life- 
long notions  will  be  reversed :  to-day,  at  noon,  the  sun  was 
directly  overhead;  and  henceforth  for  many  a  day,  it  will 
shine  to  the  north  of  us  instead  of  to  the  southward.  The 
icy  blasts  will  come  from  the  South,  whereas  we  have  been 
accustomed  to  regard  southerly  breezes  as  soft  and  warm. 
In  New  York,  it  is  the  east  wind  that  brings  thick  weather 
with  rain :  here,  on  the  coast,  the  east  wind  is  dry,  and  clears 
the  atmosphere;  while  the  northwest  winds  (which  in  New 
York  sweep  the  clouds  away  and  brace  the  system  up) 
are  here  the  harbinger  of  overcast  skies,  rain,  and  storm. 
We  left  San  Francisco  toward  spring — here,  the  same 
month  is  the  first  of  autumn:  one  hemisphere  has  every- 
thing the  converse  of  the  other. 

This   is   indeed   a  happy  trip  for  us  who  are  merely 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  173 

journeying — making  a  passage  from  one  port  to  another 
without  the  responsibility  and  anxiety  that  harass  those 
concerned  with  the  means  of  transportation. 

Mr.  Northrup  is  a  splendid  fellow — genial  and  affable, 
yet  very  dignified:  he  has  travelled  a  great  deal — mingled 
intimately  with  men — is  full  of  anecdote,  which  he  relates 
well — and  has  a  great  store  of  information,  which  any  one 
may  draw  upon,  but  which  is  never  ostentatiously  dis- 
played. He  goes  among  the  crew  and  talks  to  them  with 
the  freedom  of  a  true  cosmopolitan,  who  has  no  fear  of 
losing  caste  by  letting  a  fellow  man  feel  that  they  have 
something  in  common.  He  has  that  facility  of  manner — 
that  open-hearted  fellowship  which,  in  the  main,  is  so 
characteristic  of  our  California  life.  You  instinctively 
get  the  idea  that  he  belongs  to  a  superior  category,  but  he 
never  makes  you  feel  it.  It  is  the  ease  of  cultivation, 
education,  and  refinement  that  characterizes  him,  not  the 
brusque  familiarity  that  sometimes  mars  the  intercourse 
of  our  coast,  and  which  has  arisen  chiefly  from  association 
while  toiling  on  the  same  level. 

Mr.  Northrup  acts  toward  the  men  as  if  they  were  sensi- 
tive to  pain  and  pleasure  as  he  is  himself,  and  so  he  is 
popular  with  them.  He  and  Mrs.  Austin  have  daily 
contests  at  chess,  and  both  are  expert  players. 

There  is  a  piano  in  the  cabin,  and  nearly  every  even- 
ing we  have  music:  the  Doctor  affords  us  pleasure 
with  his  fine  tenor  voice  while  his  wife  plays  the 
accompaniment. 

This  is  varied  by  Marguerite's  pretty  French  chansons, 
of  which  she  has  an  inexhaustible  supply.  We  have 
asked  the  Captain  to  allow  such  of  the  men  as  wish,  to 
come  aft  into  the  saloon  during  these  little  entertainments, 


174      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  it  has  been  the  means  of  contributing  to  the  variety 
of  the  amusement;  for  we  have  thus  discovered  a  couple 
of  darkies  with  banjos,  a  Spaniard  with  a  guitar,  and  two 
sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle  who  can  perform  a  clog  dance 
to  my  scraping  of  the  fiddle.  There  is  a  brace  of  Italians 
who  carol  forth  Neapolitan  boat  songs  with  a  melody  that 
is  enchanting — one  could  almost  imagine  himself  among 
their  feluccas  within  sight  of  Vesuvius  or  lolling  in  a 
gondola  on  a  Venetian  canal.  Even  Mr.  Northrup  adds 
to  the  gayety  of  our  evenings:  he  reads  dramatic  pieces 
like  an  actor — personates  different  characters  so  accurately 
in  tone  and  enunciation  that  if  you  were  behind  a  curtain 
you  would  say  several  persons  were  speaking.  There  is 
an  excellent  library  in  the  saloon,  and  one  of  his  readings 
draws  a  full  house — Jack  enjoys  hugely  his  humor,  or 
sentiment,  or  tragedy,  whether  in  poetry,  prose,  or  drama. 
All  our  little  amusements  attract  the  men  and  officers, 
except  two,  the  First  Mate  and  the  Engineer — they  never 
come. 

One  evening  I  had  a  severe  headache  and  went  up  on  the 
poop:  mirth  and  laughter  filled  the  saloon  at  Mr.  North- 
rup's  rendering  of  some  passages  in  the  Innocents  Abroad; 
nearly  everybody  on  board  was  there — but  peering  down 
through  the  skylight  stood  those  two  worthies  (the  Mate 
and  Engineer)  like  villains  in  the  Italian  opera  who  draw 
aside  from  the  main  action,  and  plot  and  scheme;  as  I 
have  no  doubt  they  were  doing — there  was  so  much  cun- 
ning and  scorn  in  their  faces. 

I  have  left  for  a  last  word  to-day,  mention  of  the  greatest 
source  of  happiness  on  board — little  Adeline:  forward, 
aft,  everywhere,  she  brightens  all;  she  has  only  to  come 
running  or  skipping  into  any  group  of  men  for  them  to  give 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  175 

her  a  hearty  welcome.  I  have  been  near — looking  over  the 
rail,  apparently  absorbed  with  wind  and  wave,  but  in 
reality  with  an  attentive  ear  to  all  that  was  said  and  a 
sharp  glance  out  of  the  corner  of  my  eye  at  what  was  going 
on — when  she  was  with  the  men;  and  yet,  not  a  word  or 
act  ever  escaped  them  but  would  be  exactly  the  same  if 
her  mother  were  present:  such  is  the  power  of  youthful 
innocence  over  even  these  rough  natures!  In  some 
respects  they  are  like  children  themselves. 

Latitude  30°  10'  south,  longitude  94°  25'  west. 

Since  last  writing,  we  passed  the  polar  limit  of  the 
Trades  in  latitude  26°  50'  south  and  longitude  93°  30'  west: 
the  winds  died  away  like  a  flickering  candle — a  succession 
of  strong  puffs,  when  the  ship  would  glide  quickly  on;  and 
then  some  short  gasps,  when  our  only  motion  was  a 
monotonous  oscillation  to  the  immense  ocean  swell. 
There  is  much  of  resemblance  in  the  ending  of  all  things, 
and  thus  our  Trade  winds  passed  away — quietly,  as  one 
whose  strength  had  long  been  ebbing:  then  a  calm — the 
stillness  of  death. 

Steam  was  gotten  up  at  once  and  for  a  day  we  sped  on 
through  tranquil  waters — a  clear,  blue  sky  above,  and  a 
delightful  atmosphere  to  refresh  the  lungs. 

We  are  about  thirteen  hundred  miles  due  west  of 
Valparaiso.  Yesterday  morning,  soon  after  sunrise,  the 
Captain  "swung  ship":  you  never  saw  this  procedure — 
they  seldom  do  it  in  merchant  ships,  but  it  is  familiar  to 
me,  having  seen  it  on  the  Minnetonka. 

The  Wenonah  is  an  iron  vessel,  and  therefore  a  magnet; 
the  compass  needle  is  also  a  magnet:  now  if  you  suspend 
two  magnets  by  threads  and  bring  them  near  each  other, 


176  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

they  will  mutually  cause  motion :  the  ship  rolls  and  pitches 
and  steers  various  courses — all  corresponding  to  the  mo- 
tion of  one  magnet  which  disturbs  the  other — the  compass 
needle:  it  deviates  from  its  proper  direction,  and  the 
amount  of  this  deviation  varies  with  the  ship's  course  and 
the  strength  of  her  magnetism.  It  is  to  ascertain  this 
deviation  that  the  ship  is  swung.  The  speed  is  reduced 
to  mere  steerage  way,  and  then  she  is  put  successively  on 
sixteen  equidistant  points  and  steered  on  each  for  about 
five  minutes  to  let  the  ship's  magnetism  have  full  effect 
and  the  compass  card  come  to  rest:  during  this  period, 
the  Captain  observes  the  bearing  of  the  sun  by  means  of  an 
azimuth  circle  placed  on  the  standard  compass,  and  when 
satisfied  that  he  has  it  accurately,  he  notes  it  together  with 
the  time  by  chronometer. 

These  observations,  with  the  ship's  course  and  the  lati- 
tude and  longitude  of  the  place,  are  the  data  from  which 
by  calculations  of  a  rather  laborious  nature  based  on 
intricate  mathematical  formulas,  the  deviations  of  the 
compass  are  ascertained. 

0  the  intelligence  and  acumen  of  man,  that  from  the 
position  of  the  sun  in  the  heavens  can  determine  exactly 
the  amount  his  little  guide  is  astray! 

As  I  have  studied  navigation  and  its  related  subjects 
to  some  extent,  the  mystery  was  not  so  thickly  veiled  to 
me  as  to  others  of  our  party:  they  were  all  on  deck  to  see 
the  operation  and  enjoy  the  delightful  freshness  of  the 
morning. 

1  thought  the  Captain  might  like  a  little  help,  so  I 
offered  mine — I  noted  the  time  of  each  observation  and 
kept  the  record  of  everything.     The  Mate  observed  the 
ship's  head  by  steering  compass,  and  the  Captain  himself 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  177 

observed  the  sun's  bearing  and  ship's  head  by  the 
standard. 

Captain  Colburn  has  one  characteristic  very  prominent 
— he  is  thorough  in  whatever  he  does :  his  whole  interest — 
heart  and  intelligence — is  in  it.  We  were  nearly  two  hours 
swinging  on  sixteen  points,  and  now  when  he  has  made  the 
calculations,  he  can  approach  the  stormy  coast  of  Pata- 
gonia with  full  confidence  in  his  compass  courses.  If 
others  took  equal  care,  there  would  be  fewer  disasters. 
He  spent  two  hours  ensuring  safety,  whereas  without  it 
he  might  have  wrecked  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  cargo 
and  ship,  and  lost  many  lives. 

But  this  was  not  the  view  our  disgruntled  First  Mate 
took  of  the  operation:  when  it  was  over,  he  said  to  me, 
"  What  damn  rot  this  is!  I've  been  going  to  sea  man  and 
boy  for  twenty  years,  and  I  never  saw  this  done  before. 
We  always  stood  boldly  in  to  the  coast,  for  the  compasses 
were  fixed  up  before  we  left  port  by  a  man  who  knew  his 
business.  This  Captain  didn't  have  that  done  in  San 
Francisco — he  done  it  himself — and  he's  afraid  they're 
all  wrong,  and  I  guess  they  are.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  we 
fetched  up  on  some  rock  off  shore;  but  I'll  be  on  deck  and 
keep  a  sharp  look  out — he's  not  going  to  pile  my  bones 
on  that  beach.  Now,  there  were  two  hours  that  we  might 
have  made  twenty  miles  straight  on  our  course,  instead 
of  fooling  them  away  going  round  a  circle  because  he's 
frightened  about  the  compasses.  The  owners  don't  want 
no  such  nonsense — 'tis  money  out  of  pocket  for  them,  and 
I  guess  he '11  hear  of  it." 

"Don't  you  know,"  said  I,  "that  even  if  the  compasses 
had  been  properly  compensated  by  a  professional  adjuster 
in  San  Francisco,  they  would  still  be  in  error  here,  after 


178  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

such    an    extreme    change    of    magnetic    conditions?" 

"I  know,"  he  answered,  "that  when  they're  turned 
over  to  us  as  all  right  by  a  man  who  knows  what  he's  talk- 
ing about,  they  are  right :  to  monkey  with  them  afterwards 
is  to  make  them  all  wrong.  If  we  do  come  to  grief,  it 
will  be  the  fault  of  this  man — he'd  better  have  stayed  ashore, 
berthing  ships  and  handling  cargo  as  he  was  doing,  and  let 
blue  water  sailing  to  them  as  know  how  to  do  it." 

I  won't  weary  you  with  more  of  his  speech;  but  tell  you 
that  before  I  finished  I  made  clear  even  to  Jacob  Hawse, 
the  full  value  of  the  Captain's  swinging  ship.  I  saw  he 
had  learned  something  about  compass  deviations,  although 
sneering  flings  at  the  Captain  were  his  only  rejoinder. 

We  had  but  a  few  hours  more  under  steam  after  swing- 
ing ship;  for  a  gentle  breeze  sprang  up — sail  was  made — 
steam  let  down — and  we  are  again  gliding  on,  all  our  wings 
spread  to  the  westerly  breeze.  The  weather  is  perfect — 
clear,  dry,  and  genial,  with  just  a  touch  of  freshness  in  the 
air.  Later,  these  westerly  winds  will  become  stormy — 
probably  roar  like  lions.  I  suppose,  Dan,  you  are  weary 
of  all  this  wind  and  weather  palabreria;  but  I  am  far  from 
the  haunts  of  men,  and  variety  of  incident  doesn't  exist. 
In  this  little  community,  the  events  are  prescribed,  and 
they  occur  with  the  regularity  of  the  hand  to  the  hour  upon 
the  dial :  one  day,  it  is  an  exercise  at  fire  quarters ;  another, 
a  simulated  man  overboard;  still  again,  a  hypothetical 
abandon  ship;  then,  airing  bedding  and  clothes;  and 
every  day,  it  is  cleaning  and  inspection  of  the  ship  and 
crew. 

The  Captain  takes  his  observations  for  longitude  and 
compass  error  every  morning  and  a  meridian  altitude  at 
noon;  and  even  the  posting  of  this  information  about  one 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  179 

o'clock — to  see  where  we  are,  and  how  much  we  have 
made  in  the  past  twenty-four  hours ;  to  speculate  upon  the 
prospective  run  and  the  winds  during  the  ensuing  day — 
all  this  is  looked  for  as  anxiously  as  you  would  for  your 
morning  paper  full  of  sensational  news  or  the  carnage  of 
war. 

So  do  trifles  or  tragedies  interest  us  according  to  the 
conditions  in  which  we're  placed! 

This  is  a  little  realm  wherein  the  aim  of  him  who 
governs  it  is  to  make  it  run  with  the  regularity  of  a  mechan- 
ism; and  the  lubricating  means  to  this  end  are  largely  in 
the  head,  heart,  and  fibre  of  him  who  commands.  His 
personality  enters  powerfully  in  imparting  character  to 
everything  aboard:  with  fair  knowledge  of  his  profession 
and  painstaking,  persevering  endeavor — above  all,  if 
loyally  supported  by  his  subordinates,  there  is  no  reason 
why  he  should  not  have  a  well  disciplined  ship,  equal  to 
any  emergency.  But  however  competent  and  zealous  the 
Captain  may  be,  if  he  is  not  seconded  by  his  subordinates, 
his  efforts  will  generally  have  inadequate  results,  if  not 
meet  with  dismal  failure. 

You  remember  how  slovenly  things  were  on  the  Ever- 
glade, because  the  Captain  was  such,  and  I  could  make 
no  headway  against  his  lethargy:  well,  the  converse  is  the 
case  here — what  efficiency  exists  (and  there  is  a  great  deal), 
is  attained  solely  by  the  Captain's  tireless  energy  and  watch- 
fulness against,  not  even  stolid  apathy,  but  active  opposi- 
tion in  every  form  it  can  be  exerted,  short  of  open  in- 
subordination. The  cat-like  purring  that  sometimes  goes 
on  in  his  presence  by  some  officers,  has  its  natural  claw- 
like  accompaniment — merciless^  scratching  and  tearing 
behind  his  back.  It  fills  me  with  indignation  to  see  the 


180      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

game  the  First  Mate  is  playing:  I  long  to  see  him  commit 
some  open  deed  that  the  Captain  can  take  hold  of,  in  order 
to  deal  with  him  as  he  deserves. 

Latitude  32°  18'  south,  longitude  94°  13'  west. 

More  beautiful  days — bright,  fresh,  and  delightful; 
but  with  little  wind:  we  are  merely  crawling  toward  our 
goal.  There  is  a  deep  sense  of  isolation  in  our  present 
position — as  far  from  any  land,  and  as  remote  from  the 
highways  of  commerce,  as  it  is  possible  to  get:  when  the 
twilight  of  evening  comes,  and  to  the  quiet  of  sea  and  air 
is  added  the  hush  of  noises  aboard,  then,  indeed,  the  feel- 
ing of  isolation  is  impressive  and  conduces  to  reverie. 
At  such  times  I  light  a  cigar,  go  up  on  the  poop,  and,  lean- 
ing over  the  taffrail,  watch  our  wake,  and  think  and  think; 
and  this  is  the  burden  of  my  thought — the  condition  of 
life  on  board  this  ship. 

Here  is  a  man  with  a  fine  command — provided  with 
every  comfort  a  ship  can  afford — his  will  apparently 
supreme — his  orders  (as  far  as  one  can  see)  obeyed; 
everything  to  flatter  his  pride  and  ambition,  and  yet  I 
believe  him  to  be  unhappy.  Why  is  this  ?  A  long  story — 
I  will  merely  touch  on  it : 

Captain  Colburn  is  a  sensitive  man  who  enjoys  with 
zest  all  that  affords  him  pleasure:  he  also  suffers  acutely 
whatever  gives  him  pain.  When  we  left  San  Francisco, 
he  was  buoyant  and  cheerful  and  threw  his  whole  soul  into 
making  the  ship  and  crew  all  that  the  most  ardent  enthu- 
siast could  desire. 

All  went  well  for  awhile :  but  eventually,  the  cloven  foot 
appeared  in  the  person  of  the  First  Mate;  and  the  clear, 
wholesome  stream  issuing  from  the  cabin  was  literally 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  181 

dammed  in  its  course — made  a  stagnant  pool,  green  with 
suspicion,  slimy  with  innuendo,  and  muddy  with  every 
lump  of  ridicule  that  could  be  cast  into  it :  men  and  officers 
alike  became  infected — imbued  with  animosity  toward  the 
Captain. 

The  inevitable  soon  followed;  there  was  jarring  in  the 
whole  routine  of  the  ship — ill-will  produced  bad  work — 
and  failure  marked  the  Captain's  efforts.  That  was  the 
second  phase.  Then  something  happened  which  we  can 
only  infer  from  the  results;  for  matters  again  progressed 
smoothly — at  least  to  our  view — and  efficiency  and  dis- 
cipline prevailed. 

It  was  the  eternal  struggle  of  ship  life — who  should  com- 
mand— Captain  or  Mate  ?  And  I  guess  the  latter  found 
that  the  former  intended  to  do  so;  for  there  is  now  appar- 
ent peace  and  good  work:  but  beneath,  I  know  sullenness 
and  disloyalty  to  exist  among  officers  and  men;  while  the 
Captain  has  become  reserved,  severe,  and  irritable — 
the  natural  outcome  of  the  influences  working  upon  him. 

Pain,  whether  physical  or  mental,  disposes  us  to  find 
fault  with  others;  and  if  it  be  recurrent,  we  become  habit- 
ually peevish,  unless  blessed  with  the  patience  of  Job  or 
Tobias:  so  with  our  food,  a  bad  meal  puts  us  out  of  humor; 
and  a  succession  of  them  breeds  all  the  ills  of  indigestion 
with  their  reflex  action  on  our  temper  and  manner: 
similarly  with  continued  failure — it  so  depresses  its  victim, 
that  he  finally  acquires  the  cynical,  morose  nature  of  the 
baffled  man.  Let  him  who  seldom  knows  an  ailment, 
or  him  who  generally  gratifies  his  appetite  with  savoury 
dishes,  or  him  who  ever  hears  the  plaudits  of  success,  take 
the  place  of  the  man  who  is  familiar  chiefly  with  the 
opposites  of  these  conditions,  and  see  how  long  his  suavity 


182      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

will  endure!  His  is  an  exceptional  nature  that  will  not 
turn  sour  under  continued  disappointment. 

There  is  such  a  treacherous  undertow  in  this  ship,  and 
the  Captain  is  aware  of  it — carrying  all  his  endeavor,  if 
not  toward  total  failure,  at  least  toward  only  partial  suc- 
cess— that  I  do  not  wonder  he  is  taciturn  and  bitter. 

The  other  evening  I  was  leaning  over  the  taffrail  as 
usual,  smoking,  and  not  far  off — stationed  at  the  life  buoy 
— was  one  of  the  Irishmen  who  contribute  so  much  to 
our  little  entertainments  by  their  rollicking  songs  and 
dance.  The  First  Mate  was  on  watch:  he  approached 
the  lookout  and  said, 

"Well,  Mike,  going  into  the  saloon  tonight?" 

"Yes,  sir;  to  be  sure." 

"Then  you  like  to  make  a  laughing  stock  of  yourself 
for  those  people  ?" 

"I  don't  know  about  that,  sir;  all  hands  take  a  turn  in 
making  merriment." 

"Yes,  but  all  hands  don't  feel  towards  you  as  these 
passengers  do:  don't  you  know  they  belong  to  the  Know- 
nothing  Party  in  the  United  States,  that  want  to  send  you 
all  back  to  English  tyranny  ?  Why,  you're  no  better  than 
a  dago.  They,  too,  go  and  amuse  them;  and  you  all  get 
the  same  pay — a  glass  of  beer!  I  wouldn't  make  a  clown 
of  myself  for  anybody  to  laugh  at — let  the  dagoes  do  that. 
The  Irish  are  men — let  them  act  like  men,  and  not  like 
monkeys  to  caper  about  for  the  amusement  of  those  whose 
ancestors  oppressed  them  and  their  religion." 

This,  and  much  more  in  a  minor  key  (which  I  didn't 
catch),  was  distilled  into  Mike's  ear.  The  Mate  knew  I 
was  there,  so  I  couldn't  be  called  an  eavesdropper;  on  the 
other  hand,  his  voice  was  so  low  that  I  presume  he  thought 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  183 

he  was  not  heard ;  but  my  ears  are  very  sharp.  I  suppose 
I  should  have  moved  away,  but  my  curiosity  was  aroused 
to  see  what  new  discontent  Hawse  would  stir  up. 

To  contradict  him  and  set  matters  right  might  lead  to 
complications  which  I  thought  best  to  avoid,  and  so  after 
a  few  moments,  I  went  away. 

The  Captain  has  introduced  a  new  arrangement  for 
stowing  the  belongings  of  the  crew:  each  man  has  a 
cylindrical  bag  about  fourteen  inches  in  diameter  and 
thirty  inches  long  made  of  heavy  canvas — his  trunk,  in 
which  he  can  keep  all  his  traps:  caps,  shoes,  neckerchiefs, 
socks,  trousers,  pea-jacket,  and  shirts — each  piece  neatly 
rolled  up  and  tied  with  twine.  He  has  also  a  small  box 
of  about  a  foot  measurement  each  way,  in  which  he  keeps 
odds  and  ends — soap,  brushes,  shaving  gear,  sewing 
materials,  old  letters,  photographs,  and  little  trinkets — 
a  kind  of  magpie's  nest.  His  bedding  is  stowed  in  a 
hammock. 

Periodically,  in  fine  weather,  there  is  a  field  day  when 
each  man  gets  up  his  earthly  goods,  spreads  them  to  air, 
and  the  Captain  inspects  them.  Such  an  event  occurred 
yesterday,  and  the  ship  from  forecastle  to  quarter  deck 
looked  like  a  bazaar  with  this  curious  array;  but  it  was 
most  creditable  for  cleanliness  and  neatness:  the  Captain 
invited  us  to  look  at  it  with  him,  and  it  pleased  the  men 
highly  to  hear  the  praise  we  bestowed  with  entire  sincerity 
on  the  appearance  of  everything.  Many  a  pleasant  word 
passed  on  both  sides,  and  instead  of  it  being  a  formal 
inspection,  it  was  like  an  enjoyable  first  view  of  a  con- 
noisseur's collection  with  encomiums  thrown  in.  Of 
course  Jacob  Hawse  calls  this  care  for  the  small  comforts 
of  the  men,  treating  them  like  children — coddling. 


184      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

This  reminds  me  to  tell  you  what  I  have  done  with  my 
clothes :  as  I  knew  for  a  year  that  I  should  make  this  pass- 
age, I  kept  all  my  partly  worn  garments,  especially  under- 
wear, with  the  view  of  getting  a  final  turn  out  of  them  in 
the  bad  weather  at  sea ;  well,  their  tatters  strew  the  Pacific 
from  California  to  Patagonia ;  every  night  I  commit  a  deed 
of  darkness,  and  consign  some  article  to  the  vasty  deep 
without  even  a  requiem  strain.  When  I  reach  New  York, 
I  shall  need  almost  a  new  outfit  of  every  article  that  covers 
man — not  that  I  shall  be  literally  in  the  altogether  upon 
arrival;  but  my  wardrobe  will  be  well  within  the  hundred 
dollar  limit  of  the  Custom  House. 

Latitude  35°  16'  south,  longitude  93°  II7  west. 

A  ship  is  an  odd  place  to  find  home  comforts,  and  yet 
I  have  found  them  here,  and  to  greater  extent  than  any- 
where else  for  many  a  year. 

It  is  a  happy  group  that  gathers  round  our  board  three 
times  a  day — the  Captain,  Doctor  Austin  and  his  family, 
Mr.  Northrup,  and  myself.  Promptly  at  the  hour,  we  all 
assemble:  at  eight  o'clock,  breakfast;  at  half -past  one, 
dinner;  at  half  past  six,  supper — all  in  good  whilom 
American  style  with  substantial,  wholesome  food.  No 
defrauding  one's  hungry  maw  with  an  egg  and  bit  of  toast 
for  an  early  breakfast;  but  steak — or  chops — or  ham  and 
eggs,  with  potatoes,  coffee,  rolls,  corn  bread,  buckwheat 
cakes,  and  maple  syrup — edibles  to  give  the  empty  stom- 
ach something  to  act  upon  and  enable  a  man  to  do  his  work. 

The  Captain  sits  at  the  head  of  the  table  and  does  the 
carving,  while  Mrs.  Austin  presides  over  the  coffee  and 
tea  trays — 'tis  quite  a  family  function  our  thrice  daily 
reunion  at  the  festive  board. 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  185 

Solidity  of  food  and  regularity  of  meals  are  great  factors 
in  a  sound  life:  contrast  their  effect  upon  one's  habits 
and  manners  with  the  influence  of  the  vagabond  browsing 
among  restaurants  that  is  becoming  so  common  in  San 
Francisco,  and  I  suppose  also  in  other  cities  where  the 
exotic  customs  of  Europe  are  creeping  in !  A  cup  of  coffee 
with  a  roll  and  egg  any  time  up  to  noon  in  any  eating  house 
you  happen  to  be  near:  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  perhaps  a 
steak  or  chop  according  to  your  purse;  or  if  this  be  light, 
or  you  have  a  tendency  to  save,  some  dish  that  keeps  up  the 
fraud  of  the  morning:  at  night  you  dine  at  random — it 
may  be  to  repletion;  or  if  you  are  on  the  keen  scent  for 
much  food  for  little  money  (as  some  are),  you  continue  the 
fraud  upon  your  health  by  another  meagre  meal.  Ir- 
regularity— insufficiency — subterfuge:  they  break  down 
good  habits,  deform  character,  and  lead  to  irresponsibility, 
if  not  immorality. 

Then  there  is  the  Tip  affliction:  the  waiter  stands  over 
you  with  the  cowing  look  of  a  bandit — compelling  you 
to  put  down  an  adequate  fee.  If  not,  you  get  scowls  and 
sulks  and  bad  food.  Now  all  this  is  degrading  to  a  man — 
it  wounds  his  feelings  and  humbles  his  self  respect — places 
him  at  the  caprice  of  a  creature  devoid  of  all  sense  of 
obligation  to  do  his  work,  actuated  only  by  greed.  From 
the  eating  house  of  low  degree  to  the  restaurant  of  high 
pretensions,  it  is  all  the  same — the  "stand  and  deliver" 
practice  may  be  less  brutally  carried  out  in  the  latter,  but 
not  less  effectively.  The  man  whose  digestion  and  senti- 
ments can  survive  a  round  of  this  debauchery  is  indeed  a 
marvel  of  stability.  Now  compare  such  a  drifting  exist- 
ence with  the  regular,  respectable  life  we  lead  here.  Our 
little  band  has  all  the  intimacy  of  a  family  with  the  natural 


186      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

spur  to  self  control  and  regard  for  one  another — nay, 
more,  a  tendency  to  mutual  kindly  acts — that  char- 
acterize a  refined  home.  How  different  from  the  vagrant 
feeding  in  public  hostelries,  where  self  assertion,  aggressive- 
ness, and  disregard  for  not  only  the  conventionalities, 
but  the  barest  civilities  of  life,  are  fostered — making  of 
man  an  ill-mannered  egoist,  instead  of  a  congenial 
companion. 

Our  food  is  plain,  but  appetizing  and  nutritious;  and 
the  table  is  served  with  a  delicacy  that  adds  zest  to  all  that 
is  put  upon  it.  The  cook,  steward,  and  servants  are 
Japanese — little  people  who  by  nature  are  neat,  clean,  and 
even-tempered :  they  take  all  one's  varying  moods  with  the 
same  imperturbability — a  compliment  or  a  harsh  word 
elicits  neither  smile  nor  frown;  but  they  go  quietly  on, 
attending  faithfully  to  all  their  duties.  They  are,  besides, 
honest  and  economical.  The  tipping  practice  is  wholly 
absent,  and  it  adds  immensely  to  one's  self-respect  to  have 
his  little  requirements  fulfilled  without  debasement  of  both 
giver  and  receiver. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  see  how  these  Japs  attend  to  things 
without  a  word :  the  cleaning,  sweeping,  dusting,  polishing, 
and  arranging  of  articles  in  their  accustomed  places — 
all  this  is  done  with  as  much  interest  and  care  as  if  it  were 
their  sole  thought  in  life  to  do  it  well. 

Latitude  42°  31'  south,  longitude  84°  16'  west. 
This  is  my  last  etape.  I  shall  close  this  letter  to-day 
and  send  it  to  you  from  Punta  Arenas  in  the  Straits  of 
Magellan.  We  are  about  five  hundred  miles  from  the 
entrance  to  the  Patagonian  Channels — the  Gulf  of  Penas, 
and  Heaven  grant  it  hide  no  treacherous  rock  for  us! 


ON  THE  SOUTH  PACIFIC  187 

Keep  up  your  French  and  Spanish,  Dan;  you  can't  tell 
the  day  when  they  may  come  in  handy:  my  stock  of  both 
has  stood  me  well  on  many  an  occasion,  and  I  have  often 
been  complimented  on  their  quality.  The  truth  is,  I  can 
get  off  a  few  phrases  that  are  within  easy  reach,  quite 
glibly:  many  more  are  in  a  state  of  somnolence,  and  if  I 
could  only  awaken  them  to  activity  at  the  proper  moment, 
they  would  serve  me  well ;  but,  alas !  they  slumber  on,  and 
so  by  the  ready  utterance  of  a  few  words,  I  get  credit  for  a 
reserve  of  fluency  that  I  really  do  not  possess. 

The  Irishmen  couldn't  stand  the  Mate's  ridicule — they 
did  not  come  to  the  saloon  on  the  evening  the  conversation 
took  place  that  I  related  a  few  pages  back:  then  the 
Spaniard  dropped  out — next,  the  negroes  went — finally, 
the  Neapolitans  were  missing;  and  so  crumbled  our  little 
variety  show. 

That  man  Hawse  is  an  incarnate  devil ! 

I  scarcely  believe  in  a  single  primal  fiend:  our  own 
vicious  vagaries  are  sufficiently  explained  by  the  evil  traits 
that  more  or  less  streak  us;  while  the  wickedness  from 
without  is  fully  accounted  for  by  such  men  as  he.  There 
isn't  an  imp  of  darkness  that  could  devise  more  refined 
torments  than  he  has  for  Colburn.  The  Captain  doesn't 
speak  of  it — that  is  not  necessary:  we  passengers  are  but 
lookers-on;  yet  we  might  be  blind,  and  the  strength  of 
the  countercurrent  Hawse  has  set  up  against  the  Captain — 
defeating  his  efforts  to  make  the  ship  happy  and  efficient, 
irritating  him  by  petty  insubordination,  harassing  him 
by  traps,  and  loading  him  with  anxiety  lest  he  (the  Mate) 
should  do  some  dastardly  deed  at  a  critical  moment — 
all  this  would  make  itself  felt. 

But  we're  not  blind,  and  we  clearly  see  its  effects  on  the 


188      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Captain:  no  doubt  the  latter  is  biding  his  time  to  strangle 
the  viper;  and  so  we  keep  from  mixing  in  what  we  might 
only  muddle. 

The  others  wondered  at  the  sudden  collapse  of  our  little 
amusements:  the  Captain  was  present,  but  made  no  com- 
ment— I  guess  he  knew  the  reason;  so  when  he  left  us,  I 
explained  the  cause,  and  they  are  all  as  wrathful  as  I  am 
toward  its  snaky  author.  Well,  it  is  a  long  run  yet  to 
New  York;  and  we're  going  to  try  to  devise  some  attrac- 
tions for  the  men  that  will  prove  stronger  than  Jacob 
Hawse's  taunts:  I  feel  they  do  not  like  him — he  simply 
pools  their  issues — a  sluice  to  give  outlet  to  their  petty 
grievances. 

There !  I  have  written  to  you  on  everything  I  can  think 
of  regarding  life  on  board.  We  passengers  are  jovial 
and  happy;  and  the  Captain  has  a  happy  moment,  too, 
when  at  meals,  or  enjoying  a  cigar  with  us  on  the  poop. 

And  so  good  bye.  I  shall  go  up  on  deck  and  watch  the 
albatrosses.  The  weather  is  rough  and  stormy — the  ship 
is  bounding  over  the  huge  billows — and  the  albatrosses 
are  following  all  the  watery  undulations  with  evident 
pleasure,  or  sweeping  in  graceful  convolutions  through  the 
air. 

Your  sincere  friend, 

GEORGE  BROOKS. 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  BOATSWAIN 

Hark  you,  Bear!  you  are  a  coward, 
And  no  Brave,  as  you  pretended:  .... 
Bear!  you  know  our  tribes  are  hostile, 
Long  have  been  at  war  together;  .... 
Had  you  conquered  me  in  battle, 
Not  a  groan  would  I  have  uttered; 
But  you,  Bear!  sit  here  and  whimper  .... 
Like  a  wretched  Shaugodaya! 

— Longfellow. 

THE  letter  of  our  literary  passenger,  George  Brooks, 
forming  chapter  eleven,  brings  the  narrative  down  to  within 
a  few  days'  run  of  the  coast;  so  the  story  will  be  resumed 
here. 

In  almost  every  ship  there  are  representatives  of  well 
marked  types ;  they  may  be  among  the  crew  or  among  the 
officers:  The  man  who  will  perform  duty  only  under 
surveillance — the  shirk  who  has  to  be  driven ;  and  the  goad 
must  be  applied  often.  Or  again,  the  man  who  antici- 
pates an  order — the  most  exasperating  type  of  person  on 
board;  he  interrupts  you  with  a  testy  assurance  that  he 
understands  ere  the  order  is  half  uttered;  or  he  even  sup- 
plies the  words  you  would  speak,  as  if  a  mere  hint  or 
intimation  were  all  that  was  necessary  for  his  quick 
intelligence.  He  is  impatient  of  explanatory  details  and 

189 


190      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

eager  to  get  beyond  control.  It  is  only  natures  full  of 
vanity  that  act  thus :  do  they  perform  duty  well  ?  Never. 
They  have  not  character  enough  to  do  anything  thor- 
oughly; and  when  brought  to  task  for  delinquencies,  they 
give  the  glib  excuse,  that  they  did  not  understand!  O 
but  they  make  a  commanding  officer  writhe  with  their 
fatuous  conceit !  Or  still  again,  the  man  who  seeks  favors 
and  privileges  by  flattering  artifices — that  smooth,  glossy 
address  that  is  all  things  to  all  men,  the  contemptible 
degenerate  of  tactful  action.  Or  finally,  the  man  streaked 
with  deceit — who  will  listen  with  apparent  interest  to  all 
you  say — will  signify  his  assent  by  a  cheerful  "Aye,  aye, 
sir" — and  then  go  and  either  not  do  your  bidding  at  all, 
or  only  in  part,  or  wholly  according  to  his  own  view:  he 
trusts  to  the  matter  being  forgotten;  or,  at  worst,  that  he 
can  make  a  plausible  excuse;  and  meanwhile  his  craving 
to  have  his  own  way  has  been  gratified. 

In  striking  contrast  with  these  traits  were  those  of  one 
man  aboard  the  Wenonah — the  Boatswain,  or  Bo 'sun,  as 
it  is  pronounced  by  seamen;  a  man  whom  Jacob  Hawse 
could  neither  awe  nor  browbeat.  Ned  Gower  was  the 
name  by  which  he  was  known  on  the  ship;  but  this  was 
only  a  mask  to  his  identity,  as  is  often  the  case  with  those 
who  go  to  sea  with  something  to  conceal. 

Gower  was  tall,  well-built,  and  powerful — a  man  of 
fine  physique,  fine  presence,  and  agreeable  manners. 
His  speech  was  correct,  and  his  actions  those  of  a  person 
who  had  received  a  good  early  training.  He  was  intelli- 
gent, and  had  a  stock  of  information  that  surprised  all  who 
conversed  with  him.  His  control  of  the  men  was  absolute; 
but  it  was  not  due  to  the  authoritative  way  in  which  he 
gave  orders  so  much  as  to  the  tone  of  geniality  that  tern- 


THE  BOATSWAIN  191 

pered  them;  the  men  respected  and  admired  him;  he  was, 
besides,  a  thorough  seaman,  and  this  enhanced  their 
regard  for  his  personal  qualities.  He  was  never  spurred 
to  unusual  effort  by  the  presence  of  either  Captain  or  Mate: 
neither  was  he  obsequious  if  commended  by  them.  He 
could  be  trusted  in  the  darkness  of  night,  with  no  eye  near, 
to  do  as  well  what  he  had  to  do,  as  in  the  light  of  day  with 
all  hands  looking  on.  When  directions  of  any  kind  were 
given  him,  he  listened  to  every  detail;  and  wherein  he 
failed  to  understand,  he  did  not  hesitate  to  ask  for  explana- 
tion. Deceit  formed  no  part  of  his  nature,  nor  did  he  resort 
to  any  tricks  to  make  things  seem  other  than  they  were; 
but  in  all  things  was  true,  honest,  and  thorough. 

Why  did  such  a  man  fill  the  lowly  place  of  Boatswain  ? 
"Rum  done  it!" — as  it  has  done  to  many  more — weaken- 
ing their  will,  paralyzing  their  ambition,  brutalizing  their 
manners,  and  destroying  every  taste  except  that  for  drink. 
With  Ned  Gower  the  temptation  was  strong — the  resist- 
ance weak. 

Ashore,  he  lost  one  good  place  after  another,  until  at 
twenty-five  he  was  so  addicted  to  drink  that  he  could  no 
longer  get  employment.  Then  he  entered  the  Navy  and 
served  on  several  ships;  eventually  he  drifted  into  the 
merchant  marine  where  he  hoped  some  day  to  attain  com- 
mand after  conquering  the  appetite  that  wrecked  his  early 
years. 

In  his  varied  service,  he  had  seen  almost  every  degree 
of  nautical  efficiency  and  discipline,  from  the  ship  in  which 
thoroughness  was  dominant  to  that  in  which  subterfuge 
prevailed.  On  the  Sloop-of-war  Keewaydin,  for  example, 
he  had  seen  the  bell  rung  for  Fire  Quarters,  and  ere  its 
short,  sharp  notes  had  died  away,  several  streams  of  water 


192      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

were  playing  over  the  rail :  in  an  incredibly  short  time  hose 
had  been  coupled,  nozzles  screwed  on,  pumps  rigged,  and 
three  hundred  men  startled  from  their  occupations  in 
different  parts  of  the  ship  and  marshalled  into  the  regular- 
ity and  order  that  the  fire  bill  required.  To  the  audience 
this  was  the  perfection  of  drill  and  discipline;  but  the 
Boatswain  had  been  behind  the  scenes — he  had  heard  the 
word  quietly  passed  that  there  was  going  to  be  fire  quar- 
ters— he  had  seen  spanners  concealed  under  shirts — and 
knots  of  men  gathered  all  over  the  deck,  ready  to  spring 
to  pump-brakes  and  hose  reels,  whose  covers  were  re- 
moved and  lashings  cast  adrift:  the  stroke  of  the  bell  was 
to  the  manoeuvre  but  the  electric  spark  to  the  mine — 
the  on-lookers  heard  only  the  explosion  and  saw  the  air 
filled  with  stones,  but  they  recked  not  of  all  the  preparation 
that  led  up  to  this  result. 

And  so,  too,  at  General  Quarters:  the  battery  was 
practically  cast  loose  and  provided  before  the  tap  of  the 
drum  ceased;  during  the  exercise,  the  main  yard,  weighing 
tons,  was  fished  with  small  stuff  and  splints  that  would 
scarcely  support  a  broken  arm — time,  two  minutes. 
Similarly,  with  Armed  Boats:  falls  were  clear  on  deck 
ready  for  running,  with  crews  standing  in  most  convenient 
proximity  to  the  articles  they  had  to  provide  at  the  bugle 
call.  Likewise  with  Man  Overboard:  the  life  boat's  crew 
was  in  readiness,  eagerly  waiting  the  alarm  to  spring  into 
the  boat — the  man  at  the  buoy  ready  to  drop  it,  the  long 
painter  in  the  bow  clear  for  slipping,  toggle  well  greased, 
plug  in,  and  all  other  appliances  prepared  for  picking  up 
the  unfortunate,  even  before  he  struck  the  water!  And 
finally,  Sail  Exercise,  and  Up  (or  Down)  Topgallant  and 
Royal  Yards:  gilguys  were  used  to  such  extent  that  the 


THE  BOATSWAIN  193 

light  yards  could  be  sent  down  by  manipulation  of  a  num- 
ber of  small  lines  from  the  tops. 

All  this  looked  well,  and  read  well  in  a  report;  and  the 
ship  was  cited  throughout  the  squadron  as  a  model  of 
smartness — to  be  emulated,  like  the  good  boy  of  the  village ; 
although  in  reality  both  ship  and  boy  might  be  the  most 
vicious  examples  of  their  respective  kinds. 

But  it  is  all  a  fraud — dry  rot  eating  into  the  organiza- 
tion, as  worms  bore  into  trees.  Such  a  ship  has  for  her 
Executive  a  sleuth  who  scents  out  every  drill  or  exercise 
that  the  Captain  intends  to  have  without  warning;  and 
then  prepares  for  it  so  that  the  essential  work  is  done  before- 
hand. Result — the  First  Lieutenant  gets  the  reputation 
of  being  a  smart  officer,  full  of  resources,  born  to  handle 
men,  a  thorough  organizer,  and  an  excellent  disciplinarian 
— are  not  the  exercises  on  record  to  prove  it  ? 

Of  course  it  needs  only  a  sudden  drill — a  real  surprise 
in  the  midst  of  the  daily  duties,  to  expose  the  sham. 

The  injury  of  such  procedure  is  not  only  to  efficiency  and 
discipline,  but  also  to  the  moral  fibre  of  the  men — teaching 
the  attainment  of  ends  by  trickery :  it  destroys  the  distinc- 
tion between  right  and  wrong;  for  if  well  ground  into  either 
officer  or  man  as  a  system  regarding  drills  and  exercises, 
it  does  not  stop  there;  but  like  the  corroding  acid  dropped 
on  cloth,  spreads  and  eats  its  way  until  the  whole  fabric  is 
rotten. 

Nor  can  it  be  justified  by  the  plea  that  all  is  fair  in  war. 
In  the  first  place,  it  is  not  in  war  that  it  is  practised,  but 
in  the  preparation  for  war  during  a  time  of  peace;  and  all 
preparation — all  drill  and  instruction  looking  to  war  as  an 
end,  should  be  on  solid  ground,  not  undermined  by  quick- 
sands. In  the  second  place,  it  is  positively  dishonorable 


13 


194       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

to  teach  men  to  gain  advantage  by  fraud ;  and  what  is  dis- 
honorable, is  fair  neither  in  war  nor  in  peace.  Yet,  those 
who  practise  this  art  of  dry  rot  do  not  regard  it  as  dishonor- 
able— they  simply  think  it  smart,  something  to  be  proud 
of  and  copied :  their  idea  is  merely  to  get  ahead — to  outwit 
or  outstrip  some  one  in  the  race  for  reputation — rather, 
for  notoriety;  and  the  moral  aspect  of  the  case  does  not 
occur  to  them.  But  it  is  vicious  and  degrading  none  the 
less,  and  whoever  adopts  it  as  his  course  of  action  can  lay 
no  claim  to  thoroughness,  honor,  or  sincerity.  And  many 
who  do  practise  it — how  they  would  fume  if  their  honor 
were  impugned !  Dishonorable  ?  O  no :  to  them  it  is  only 
a  trait  that  denotes  the  man  capable  of  taking  care  of  him- 
self! Their  idea  of  honor  reminds  one  of  the  youth  at 
college  who  deems  his  honor  above  reproach;  yet  who 
stealthily  copies  his  lesson  on  the  blackboard  from  a  pre- 
pared resume,  and  palms  it  off  as  the  acquisition  of  hard 
study. 

From  the  sham  performances  of  the  Sloop-of-war 
Keewaydin,  Gower  could  turn  with  pleasure  to  memories 
of  the  Frigate  Winnebago,  where  honesty  and  thorough- 
ness characterized  drills,  discipline,  and  dealing  with  the 
men. 

Jacob  Hawse,  First  Mate  of  the  Wenonah,  was  the  very 
embodiment  of  nautical  dry  rot:  not  that  he  was  incom- 
petent— quite  the  contrary;  he  was  both  intelligent  and 
equal  to  the  performance  of  any  duty  of  a  seaman;  and  in 
matters  pertaining  to  the  sea,  his  judgment  (when  not 
warped  by  some  controlling  motive)  was  sound ;  but  deceit 
was  ingrained  in  his  nature  and  impelled  him,  as  a  rule, 
to  attain  his  ends  by  craft. 

By  preparing  in  advance  for  everything,  so  that  when  the 


THE  BOATSWAIN  195 

curtain  rose  upon  his  performance  it  should  redound  to  his 
credit,  the  crew  had  become  imbued  with  the  same  spirit: 
the  spectre  of  sham  and  show  was  ever  stalking  about  the 
decks.  If  the  Captain  came  from  his  cabin  and  told  the 
Mate  that  he  wanted  to  take  a  look  under  the  to 'gallant 
forecastle,  the  Mate  found  it  urgent  to  engage  his  atten- 
tion with  something  on  the  quarter  deck  for  a  few  minutes : 
meanwhile  a  nod  to  one  of  the  men  told  him  the  part  he 
had  to  play — he  ran  forward  and  had  things  put  to  rights 
in  such  haste  that  when  the  Captain  and  Mate  appeared, 
everything  was  neat  and  orderly ;  and  the  Captain  could  not 
but  think  that  such  was  their  normal  condition,  whereas 
.the  direct  opposite  was  the  case. 

The  Mate,  desirous  of  gaining  the  good  will  of  the  men 
as  well  as  of  worrying  the  Boatswain  (whose  domain  the 
forecastle  naturally  was),  let  them  litter  and  use  it  as  they 
pleased  after  inspection:  it  was  often  in  disorder,  even 
dirty — sprinkled  with  half-smoked  tobacco,  and  foul  with 
the  smell  of  old  pipes,  notwithstanding  that  the  Captain 
had  forbidden  smoking  there  at  any  time. 

The  men  disliked  the  Mate,  but  they  also  feared  him; 
and  to  save  themselves  from  his  petty  tyrannies,  they 
would  readily  do  his  bidding — when  under  his  eye.  He 
had  a  nod,  or  a  wink,  or  a  grimace  of  some  kind  that  con- 
veyed to  them  as  clearly  under  different  circumstances 
what  they  were  to  do,  as  the  numbers  in  the  signal  book 
denote  the  manoeuvres  of  a  squadron. 

The  Mate  never  liked  the  Boatswain:  the  two  were 
representative  of  opposite  modes  of  action;  one  was  the 
embodiment  of  deceit — the  other,  the  soul  of  straight- 
forwardness, and  there  was  ever  between  them  the  act  and 
feeling  of  cat  and  dog. 


196      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

But  notwithstanding  this,  the  Boatswain  had  many  a 
happy  hour:  he  was  full  of  anecdote — the  stock  in  trade  of 
every  sailor,  and  which  has  become  threadbare  in  the  telling; 
yet  they  were  new  and  unique  to  the  passengers;  and  the 
Doctor  and  Mr.  Northrup  always  sought  the  Boatswain 
when  they  wanted  a  hearty  laugh,  and  they  came  away 
full  of  good  humor  and  happiness.  Besides,  he  could  talk 
well  and  intelligently  on  many  subjects — with  the  keen 
insight  of  a  man  of  sound  common  sense. 

His  repertory  had  two  distinct  categories:  when  a  guide 
takes  a  party  through  the  ruins  of  Pompeii,  if  the  visitors 
are  all  men,  they  see  everything;  but  if  of  both  sexes,  he 
politely  says  at  certain  points  of  the  route,  "  Restez,  mes- 
dames — entrez,  messieurs  ";  and  so  with  the  Boatswain — 
he  had  stories  for  all ;  and  there  were  others — f ull  of  direct- 
ness, but  which  would  have  to  be  softened  by  round-about 
phrase  if  related  to  mesdames. 

During  the  passage  the  Mate  nagged  the  Boatswain  in 
all  those  small  despicable  ways  that  one  in  authority  can 
practise,  without  doing  anything  that  will  sound  like  a 
harshness  when  related.  It  is  in  the  look — the  gesture — 
the  tone  of  voice,  that  the  sting  of  man  is  located:  there, 
exist  the  fangs  that  will  inject  such  venom  into  the  blood 
of  a  fellow  man  as  may  impel  him  to  murder. 

Short  of  this,  such  petty  tortures  are  like  the  oft  repeated 
bite  of  a  gnat — they  inflame  the  flesh  and  make  the  feel- 
ings raw  and  sore;  and  this  was  the  condition  into  which 
the  Mate  had  gotten  the  Boatswain  by  his  eternal  nagging. 

One  morning,  when  about  three  hundred  miles  from  the 
coast  of  Patagonia,  the  weather  was  very  squally  and  the 
sea  rough.  It  had  rained  heavily  for  several  hours — 
everything  was  saturated,  and  the  rigging  was  swollen  and 


THE  BOATSWAIN  197 

stiff.  The  ship  was  running  a  point  free  under  to 'gallant 
sails  and  single  reefed  topsails.  A  heavy  squall  loomed 
in  the  horizon — one  of  those  stiff  winds  that  lash  the  waves 
into  whitened  foam  and  grow  in  violence  as  they  approach. 
The  First  Mate  had  the  deck — the  hissing  sound  in  the 
distance  was  ominous  of  the  fury  at  hand,  and  Hawse  had 
ample  time  to  prepare  for  it ;  but  he  chose  to  show  his  bold- 
ness by  holding  on — to  take  in  sail  only  at  the  instant  of 
something  about  to  carry  away — a  sail  to  split,  or  a  mast 
to  crack:  he  wanted  to  display  the  skill  of  the  horseman 
who  spurs  his  steed  to  within  a  yard  of  the  goal,  and  then 
reins  in,  throwing  the  animal  on  his  haunches.  The  Mate 
was  a  competent  seaman,  but  this  time  he  all  but  failed 
through  reckless  daring.  With  the  sound  of  seething 
waters  the  squall  bore  down  on  him — still  he  held  on,  and 
it  all  but  struck  the  ship  when  he  gave  orders  to  let  go  the 
to 'gallant  halliards  and  put  the  helm  up.  The  main  and 
mizzen  came  down  without  a  hitch,  but  the  fore  stuck,  and 
there  was  danger  that  the  yard  and  mast  would  go  by  the 
board  ere  the  ship  could  get  before  the  wind. 

One  of  those  unavoidable  accidents  had  happened — 
a  kink  got  into  the  halliards  at  the  leading  block,  and  the 
whole  wet  coil  jammed  at  the  kink.  A  man  was  doing  his 
utmost  to  rid  the  tangle,  and  the  Boatswain  was  tugging 
with  might  and  main  to  straighten  out  the  coil.  The 
Mate  jumped  forward,  and  seeing  the  accident,  roared, 
"You  damned  lubber — you're  not  fit  to  be  Boatswain!" 

The  latter  dropped  the  rope,  and  with  the  ferocity  of  a 
tiger  sprang  upon  the  Mate — gripped  him  round  the 
throat — and  backed  him  up  against  the  ship's  side: 

"You  call  me  a  lubber — you  white  livered  coward! 
I  have  you  now  where  I'll  tell  you  what  you  are — a  black- 


198  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

hearted  Judas  Iscariot!  You  come  forward  and  tell  the 
men  the  Captain's  no  sailor — knows  nothing  about  winds — 
doesn't  even  know  his  own  mind — and  if  it  weren't  for 
you,  the  ship  would  go  to  hell :  then  you  go  aft  and  talk  to 
him  on  the  other  tack.  Yesterday,  I  heard  the  Captain 
tell  you  to  keep  those  empty  barrels,  and  last  night  what 
did  you  do  ?  You  ordered  the  cook  to  throw  them  over- 
board, snarling  at  him  '  Never  mind  what  the  Captain  says 
— do  as  I  tell  you.'  What  do  you  come  on  deck  for  every 
night  after  two  bells  and  sneer  at  the  night  orders  and 
leave  word  to  call  you  in  case  of  bad  weather — what  do 
you  do  this  for  ?  Every  man  of  us  knows  it  is  to  discredit 
the  Captain.  If  a  thing  goes  wrong,  you  say  'tis  his  fault : 
you'd  have  the  ship  under  royals  when  he  reefs,  or  bowling 
along  under  topsails  when  he  lays-to;  O  you're  a  bold 
sailor — when  he  has  the  responsibility !  You  and  the  other 
Mates  and  Engineer  are  banded  together.  When  a  man 
is  within  hearing,  you  tell  the  Captain  he's  a  hard  worker 
and  good  seaman — but  when  you  think  him  out  of  earshot, 
he's  a  lazy  lout  and  beach  comber.  Then  you  try  to  curry 
favor  with  the  crew — you  don't  do  what  the  Captain  wants. 
Why  are  you  constantly  saying  'O  that  is  Navy  style!' 
You  know  it  angers  the  men  to  have  their  customs  changed 
— they  want  no  Navy  ways — they're  suspicious,  and  jealous 
of  their  own.  There's  one  thing  clear — you  hate  the 
Captain.  Trim  about  as  you  will,  you  have  one  course  in 
view — to  make  him  out  unjust,  weak,  and  ignorant  of  the 
sea.  The  men  know  you,  and  neither  trust  you,  nor 
believe  you — nor  does  the  Captain,  either,  for  that  matter: 
since  Callao,  we  see  the  wind's  been  veering  against  you." 
At  every  new  charge,  the  Boatswain  tightened  his  grip  on 
the  Mate's  throat  until  his  tongue  came  out  thick  and  dry 


THE  BOATSWAIN  199 

and  his  eyes  were  bloodshot — the  venom  of  long  nagging 
was  in  Gower's  blood — tingling  in  his  finger  tips — burning 
into  Hawse's  flesh — eager  to  strangle  him  once  for  all. 

The  watch  dropped  everything  and  crowded  around — 
gloating  over  the  choking  their  enemy  was  getting.  Finally, 
the  Boatswain  finished  with :  "  Now  you  know  that  every 
man  in  the  ship  knows  what  you  are — a  mean  double- 
faced  liar!  If  you  had  any  grit,  you'd  jump  the  ship  at 
the  next  port;  and  to  help  you  do  it — take  that!"  flinging 
him  to  the  deck,  with  a  final  word,  "  I'll  give  you  a  chance 
to  square  yards  with  me  at  Sandy  Point." 

Then  the  Boatswain  turned  to  the  coil  of  to 'gallant 
halliards  to  straighten  it  out. 

Meanwhile,  the  ship  had  got  before  the  wind,  the  squall 
was  disarmed  of  its  force,  and  the  sail,  yard,  and  mast  held. 

The  Mate  got  up — humiliated — but  with  black  rage 
in  his  face,  and  hissed  through  his  clenched  teeth: 

"Yes,  I'll  get  even  with  you  yet."  And  he  went  aft 
without  another  word. 

Gower  felt  a  load  lifted — a  buoyancy  that  only  the 
removal  of  an  oppressive  weight  can  give.  For  weeks, 
Hawse  let  no  opportunity  pass  for  harassing  him;  he  found 
fault  with  everything — pursued  him  into  every  occupation, 
and  pecked  and  pecked.  Even  where  no  cause  for  blame 
existed,  he  concocted  one. 

Gower  had  been  steadily  filling  up  with  anger  and 
resentment,  and  now  the  score  was  wiped  clean  with  a  single 
sweep  of  the  sponge,  and  to  his  entire  satisfaction:  more 
than  that,  he  even  felt  that  he  had  the  whip  hand,  and 
though  it  was  not  in  his  nature  to  apply  the  lash  to  a 
prostrate  foe,  still  he  knew  that  the  days  of  the  Mate's 
tyrannies  were  over. 


200      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH  . 

And  the  Mate  knew  he  was  down,  and  that  the  fallen 
idol  has  no  worshippers.  But  a  minute  ago,  and  he  held 
these  men  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand — through  fear,  to  be 
sure;  but  still  he  held  them  like  dogs  in  leash  ready  to 
spring  at  his  word:  now  he  was  stripped  of  authority, 
and  the  sceptre  was  in  their  hands,  to  wield  as  caprice 
might  dictate.  He  would  never  again  dare  treat  them 
with  his  whilom  harshness;  he  should  now  mellow  his 
speech — it  must  in  fact  be  almost  "If  you  please." 

Instead  of  trampling  rough-shod  on  their  feelings,  he 
must  cautiously  pick  his  steps,  lest  the  crop  of  nettlesome 
thorns  so  suddenly  sprung  up,  prick,  and  remind  him  that 
he  was  in  their  power. 

It  was  a  great  fall — for  him;  for  he  was  arrogant,  greedy 
for  power,  and  happy  in  its  display.  To  give  an  order 
and  see  a  human  puppet  jump,  brought  sparkle  to  his  eye. 

He  had  been  the  proud  lion  whose  roar  was  feared — 
now  he  was  the  slinking  cur  that  any  one  might  kick. 

But  to  be  shorn  of  his  prestige  was  not  what  stung  him 
most :  it  was  the  danger  to  his  scheme  for  ousting  the  Cap- 
tain and  getting  the  ship  himself  when  they  reached  New 
York.  What  the  Boatswain  did,  would  be  spread  about; 
for  gossip — highly  colored  and  full  of  malice — is  ever  rife 
among  those  who  follow  the  sea;  and  ere  the  ship  should 
be  a  day  in  port,  this  many  tongued  reptile  would  have 
spumed  its  venom  throughout  the  whole  seafaring  com- 
munity. This  would  dash  his  hopes  for  the  Wenonah, 
and  herein  lay  his  deepest  regret. 

Ever  since  leaving  Callao,  he  feared  the  Captain  sus- 
pected the  worst  about  him :  Colburn  was  no  longer  frank 
and  genial  as  at  first;  but  confined  his  speech  to  matters 
pertaining  to  the  ship — principally,  orders  that  admitted 


THE  BOATSWAIN  201 

of  no  comment.  The  firm  footing  he  had  with  the  Cap- 
tain during  the  early  days  had  slipped  away,  and  he  was 
now  on  thin  ice  which  might  break  at  any  point  and  close 
over  him  in  chilling  discomfiture — danger  above  and 
danger  beneath,  which  required  all  his  subtle  craft  to  tread 
without  harm. 

The  Mate's  game  had  been  running  admirably — he  was 
winning  at  every  venture — it  made  him  bold — he  staked 
more — he  even  undertook  at  one  time  (as  has  been  seen) 
to  countermand  the  Captain's  orders — when,  lo!  with  all 
the  gain  piled  on  a  single  number,  the  wheel  passed  it  and 
stopped  at  the  next!  Self-reliant  pride  wrought  disaster. 

Pride,  like  anger,  is  a  fiery  steed :  in  its  headlong  course, 
it  risks  botjj  stumble  and  pitfall — the  Mate  lost  all  prudence 
in  elation  over  a  show  of  seamanship;  but  the  fore  to 'gallant 
yard  stuck — he  uttered  a  single  word,  "lubber!" — the 
Boatswain  throttled  him — and  in  a  minute  he  lost  all  that 
disloyalty,  deceit,  and  craft  had  won!  This  was  the 
thought  that  goaded  him  far  more  than  the  humiliation  of 
his  manhood. 

When  he  reached  the  quarter  deck,  he  set  the  sails  again 
and  got  the  ship  on  her  course.  An  hour  later,  when  the 
Captain  came  on  deck  to  take  the  morning  observations, 
the  Mate  met  him  with  a  self-possessed  front,  as  if  he  had 
not  been  choked  within  an  inch  of  his  life  while  listening  to 
a  kind  of  ante-mortem  obituary. 

Throughout  the  day  and  during  subsequent  days,  he 
pondered  and  planned :  the  bird  had  once  been  his — it  had 
simply  eluded  his  grasp — he  would  catch  it  again ;  and  the 
net  to  snare  it  occupied  the  busy  weaving  of  his  brain 
until  the  ship  reached  Punta  Arenas  in  the  Straits  of 
Magellan. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  THE  COAST  OF  PATAGONIA 

The  grizzled  north 
Disgorges  such  a  tempest  forth, 
That  as  a  duck  for  life  that  dives, 
So,  up  and  down,  the  poor  ship  drives. 

— Shakespeare. 

AFTER  the  squally  weather  of  the  last  chapter,  the  wind 
veered  to  the  southward  and  then  to  the  eastward,  grad- 
ually falling  light  the  while,  and  becoming  soft  and  balmy — 
some  strata  of  the  Trades  that  had  wandered  from  their 
genial  zone  and  were  striving  to  regain  it. 

The  wind  was  fitful,  however;  and  there  was  continual 
trimming  of  the  sails  to  profit  by  every  puff:  hours  of  calm 
succeeded  other  hours  of  evident  aerial  conflict  in  some 
region  not  far  off. 

The  calms  increased,  the  sky  was  streaked  with  only 
filmy  clouds,  the  sea  scarcely  heaved;  but  all  this  quiet 
boded  no  good  in  these  latitudes — it  was  wholly  unusual. 

Toward  evening  of  a  day  of  such  unnatural  conditions, 
all  the  appearances  of  a  change  became  better  defined: 
the  undulations  of  the  sea  from  the  southeast  had  become 
mere  ripples  against  the  bold  front  of  a  long  regular 
swell  from  the  west — a  puny  attempt  to  cross  and  confuse 
it;  heavy  banks  of  rounded  bulky  form  loomed  up  in  the 
southwestern  horizon — their  darkness  in  threatening 

202 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  203 

contrast  with  the  feathery  film  that  still  brightened  the 
eastern  sky;  the  wind  became  flighty — it  jumped  from 
point  to  point — it  sighed,  it  gasped,  it  fell  altogether;  then 
it  rose  again  to  a  strong  blast,  only  to  relapse  as  before 
after  temporarily  ruffling  the  smoothness  of  the  water. 
Sea  and  air  were  restless  and  ominous  of  evil:  the  human 
feelings  partook  of  the  unrest,  and  nervous  irritability 
seized  upon  all  aboard. 

The  ship  was  under  a  cloud  of  canvas,  and  she  rolled 
deeply  to  a  long  beam  swell  from  the  southwest — every 
swing  to  and  fro  filling  the  sails  or  bringing  them  flapping 
to  the  mast.  Night  had  fallen,  the  sky  was  black  with 
clouds,  and  though  the  moon  was  only  just  waning  from 
the  full,  still  it  was  so  hidden  that  the  darkness  could 
hardly  be  greater.  At  times  the  air  was  warm  and  moist, 
and  again  a  fresh  chill  ran  through  it. 

The  ship  was  making  little  toward  her  port,  and 
after  hours  of  trimming  the  sails  to  every  shift  of  wind, 
the  Captain  decided  that  the  gain  was  not  worth  the  wear 
and  tear  on  the  men,  so  he  ordered  the  royals  and  courses 
taken  in  and  furled  and  the  yards  counter  braced.  Be- 
sides, he  did  not  trust  the  threatening  appearances  and 
falling  barometer. 

Mr.  Northrup  and  Brooks  were  standing  in  the  star- 
board gangway  watching  the  weather,  and  not  far  off  was 
the  First  Mate  talking  to  the  Engineer. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  weather,  Mr.  Hawse  ?"  asked 
Northrup. 

"O  nothing  will  come  of  this:  a  puff — a  shower — and 
then  moderate  southwest  breezes.  When  you  come  on 
deck  in  the  morning,  you'll  find  us  bowling  toward  the 
Gulf  of  Peiias,  with  a  clear  sky." 


204      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"Well,  so  much  for  professional  knowledge,  Brooks — 
the  opinion  of  an  expert:  now,  to  my  lay  mind,  there  is 
every  indication  of  a  storm." 

"I  should  think  so,  too,"  remarked  Brooks. 

At  this  juncture  they  heard  the  order  from  the  poop  to 
take  in  and  furl  the  to 'gallant  sails;  upon  which  Hawse 
exclaimed:  "Hell!  we'll  never  get  to  New  York  at  this 
rate:  better  set  the  royals  and  courses — these  squalls  are 
nothing." 

The  physician's  prescriptions  are  scrutinized  by  the 
apothecary  and  trained  nurse,  who  can  thence  infer  some- 
what of  the  disease  and  the  fitness  of  the  medicine;  but 
both  generally  keep  a  silent  tongue,  even  if  doubtful  of 
the  entire  appropriateness  of  the  remedy  to  the  ailment: 
so,  on  board  ship,  the  seamanship  of  the  commanding 
officer  is  ever  open  to  the  view  of  his  subordinates,  many 
of  whom  are  quite  competent  to  criticize  it,  and  are  in  no 
way  reluctant  to  do  so.  But  while  doctors  sometimes 
disagree,  it  is  rare  for  two  men  of  the  sea  to  be  in  accord 
on  any  matter  of  a  nautical  nature— the  proper  manoeuvre 
for  any  given  conditions,  or  the  seamanlike  way  of  per- 
forming it :  their  profession  is  a  positive  one — individualism 
is  intense  as  to  methods  of  procedure,  and  this  precludes 
much  agreement  as  to  whether,  for  example,  one  should 
lie-to  or  run,  wear  or  box-haul,  in  any  given  case.  To 
coincide  with  another's  views  in  such  matters  savours  of 
conceding  superior  knowledge  or  judgment  to  that  other, 
and  this  would  never  do — it  would  detract  from  the  asser- 
tion of  self. 

The  sailor  is  a  growler,  and  this  proneness  to  mere  fault- 
finding so  tinctures  his  opinions  as  to  rob  them  of  much  of 
their  value  as  indicating  standards  of  procedure.  It  is 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  205 

an  instance  wherein  expert  opinion  is  often  misleading; 
so  that  Hawse's  censure  of  the  Captain  for  taking  in  sail, 
should  be  received  with  a  large  grain  of  salt,  and  would  be 
by  most  seamen. 

Mr.  Northrup  did  not  like  the  Mate's  comment,  so  he 
said: 

"  Daring  in  a  case  of  necessity  with  a  full  appreciation 
of  the  perils  of  a  situation  is  very  commendable;  but  blind 
rashness,  when  there  is  no  great  urgency,  has  often  in 
it  the  spirit  of  bravado.  Now  it  is  evident  that  these  sails 
have  done  little  good  for  some  time;  and  for  that  reason  I 
should  think  it  wise  to  make  them  snug  before  a  possible 
gale.  Besides,  I  don't  agree  with  you  about  the  weather: 
though  not  a  professional  sailor,  I  have  made  several 
voyages  in  different  parts  of  the  world;  and  that  sky,  to 
my  mind,  has  a  strong  warning  aspect.  I  should  there- 
fore call  it  prudence  and  not  timidity  that  actuated  the 
Captain." 

"O  possibly:  he's  very  careful,"  replied  the  Mate, 
trimming  his  own  sails  to  the  unexpected  rebuff,  and  pass- 
ing from  the  group.  A  friendly  word  at  the  right  moment 
(like  Northrup 's)  often  stops  an  unfavorable  comment 
from  swelling  into  a  torrent  of  abuse. 

The  night  advanced,  but  the  ship  did  not:  she  rolled 
and  pitched,  and  with  every  scend,  the  sails  tugged  at  their 
clews  as  if  to  tear  them  from  the  bolt  ropes. 

The  passengers  went  to  their  staterooms,  but  not  to 
sleep — the  irregular  motion  of  the  vessel  was  too  uncom- 
fortable: there  was  little  or  no  wind,  and  the  lumpy  sea 
communicated  all  its  roughness  to  the  ship,  so  that  she 
seemed  bumping  and  jolting  over  the  huge  cobble  stones 
of  some  titanic  highway. 


206  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Mr.  Northrup  and  Brooks  could  bear  it  no  longer:  they 
had  been  rolled  from  side  to  side  of  their  berths  until, 
nauseated  and  skin  sore,  they  lost  all  hope  of  rest;  so  they 
got  up  and  went  on  deck.  It  was  midnight,  and  the  shrill 
pipe  and  lugubrious  voice  of  the  Boatswain  turning  out  the 
watch  below,  resounded  throughout  the  forecastle. 

The  Captain  was  on  the  poop — he  had  not  turned  in  at 
all,  as  it  was  evident  from  the  scowling  aspect  of  both  sky 
and  sea  that  a  storm  was  brewing. 

Suddenly,  a  blinding  flash  in  the  southwest  illuminated 
the  night  with  all  its  electric  brilliancy,  and  a  peal  of  crash- 
ing thunder  reverberated  through  the  clouds.  It  was  a 
rent — a  crash  that  almost  shattered  the  nerves — so  sudden, 
so  violent  was  the  bolt.  There  was  but  one,  as  if  a  sum- 
mons to  swing  open  some  massive  gates  to  the  gale;  for  it 
burst  almost  immediately — hissing  like  a  legion  of  serpents : 
it  struck  the  ship — she  heeled  over — soon  partly  righted, 
and  then  sped  on  under  its  impulse.  Only  topsails,  jib, 
and  spanker  were  set  when  the  wind  rose,  and  with  it 
abaft  the  beam,  the  ship  made  good  speed  on  her  course — 
still  plunging  and  rolling.  The  wind  stiffened  and 
brought  heavy  rain,  which  did  not  merely  fall,  but  pelted 
the  flesh — the  cut  of  a  lash  could  not  sting  more. 

Mr.  Northrup  and  Brooks  sought  shelter  under  the  break 
of  the  poop  where  they  could  watch  the  storm  and  still 
be  protected  from  the  rain. 

"Lucky  the  ship  was  not  caught  under  all  sail  by  that 
squall,"  said  Northrup. 

"Yes,  it  is,"  answered  Brooks:  "the  Captain's  foresight 
proved  more  accurate  than  the  Mate's;  though,  in  reality, 
I  think  if  he  had  been  in  the  Captain's  place  last  evening, 
he  would  have  reduced  sail  and  made  everything  snug, 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  207 

just  as  the  Captain  did.  His  remark  was  prompted  more 
by  a  desire  to  discredit  him  than  because  his  judgment 
differed  with  him :  it  is  only  a  mean  nature  that  will  try  to 
build  up  a  reputation  on  the  ruins  of  another's  good  name." 

"I  think  so,  too,"replied  Northrup:  "his  conduct  toward 
the  Captain  is  a  puzzle  to  me.  At  times  I  have  seen  him 
subordinate  and  respectful — a  manner  that  would  inspire 
any  commanding  officer  with  trust  in  him;  and  again,  I 
have  seen  him  surly  and  curt — inject  into  his  look  and 
bearing  that  streak  of  coarse  temper  which  stops  just  short 
of  the  overt  act — which  cannot  be  adequately  described 
or  defined,  but  which  in  reality  constitutes  the  gravamen 
of  the  offence." 

The  gale  had  greatly  increased ;  the  rain  was  still  falling, 
but  not  in  such  quantity  as  at  first;  and  rifts  in  the  clouds 
occasionally  let  the  moon  shine  through  and  light  up  the 
wild  waste  of  waters.  Like  a  savage  beast  foaming  with 
rage,  each  sea  spent  its  fury  on  the  ship — she  plunged  and 
rose — and,  the  shock  past,  she  stood  quivering  for  the  next 
onset;  and  so  she  proceeded — diving,  rising,  rolling,  twist- 
ing, following  tremulously  every  ridge  and  furrow  of  those 
gigantic  undulations.  Looking  up  at  the  masts,  one  could 
see  them  trace  every  variety  of  curve  with  swift  flight 
across  the  clouds,  and  all  in  huge  dimensions. 

Here  was  a  violence  of  force — an  immensity  of  strength 
that  man's  most  powerful  effort  was  puny  in  comparison 
with.  The  ship's  course  brought  wind  and  sea  on  the 
quarter — the  worst  possible,  and  it  was  evident  that  the 
danger  of  scudding  was  hourly  increasing.  The  barometer 
was  still  falling,  and  more  rapidly — indicating  a  quicker 
growth  of  the  storm. 

The  Captain  was  on  the  poop,  and  the  watch  stood  in 


208      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

little  knots  about  the  deck  in  lee  of  the  masts  and  rail. 
Their  yellow  sou 'westers  gave  little  comfort  against  this 
southwest  gale;  for  though  a  mailed  coat  to  rain,  they 
afforded  no  protection  against  the  chill  that  streaked  this 
wind  from  the  icy  pole.  It  was  not  the  southwest  breeze 
of  the  other  hemisphere — soft,  and  moist,  and  warm — the 
breath  of  equatorial  zones;  but  the  counterpart  of  the 
harsh,  raw  blast  that  comes  out  of  the  north  in  boreal 
regions. 

Soon  the  two  passengers  from  their  sheltered  spot  under 
the  poop  heard  the  Captain  give  the  order  to  reef  topsails. 
The  maintopsail  yard  was  braced  in  and  suitably  laid  for 
the  purpose;  the  men  jumped  into  the  rigging,  and  in  an 
instant  were  aloft  and  laying  out  on  the  yard,  the  leading 
ones  taking  their  places  at  the  head  earings  astride  the 
yard.  The  sail  was  bellying  out  stiff  with  wind,  but  a 
few  spokes  of  helm  made  it  shake,  and  then  the  two  pas- 
sengers heard  above  the  roar  of  the  wind  that  lugubrious 
sound  from  the  weather  yard  arm — "Light  out  to  wind- 
ward!" and,  in  the  moments  of  moonlight  between  the 
driving  clouds,  they  saw  every  back  straighten  to  haul  the 
sail  out  so  that  the  head-earing  could  be  passed.  The 
ship  was  kept  slightly  luffing  the  while.  Then — "Haul 
out  to  leeward !"  and  the  lee-earing  was  passed,  the  points 
tied,  and  the  area  of  the  maintopsail  had  been  reduced  by 
two  reefs.  The  men  lay  in  and  down  from  aloft;  and  the 
yard  was  hoisted  and  squared.  Then  the  mizzen  was  close 
reefed,  and  the  foretopsail  double  reefed.  The  fore  stay- 
sail and  foot  of  the  spanker  were  the  only  sails  set  at  this 
time,  besides  the  topsails. 

There  was  something  grand  to  Mr.  Northrup  in  this 
spectacle  of  human  strength,  skill,  and  intelligence  pitted 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  209 

against  the  might  of  terrific  force — the  few  men  on  the 
yards,  beaten  by  rain,  benumbed  by  raw,  chilling  wind, 
now  quivering  on  the  crest  of  a  wave,  and  now  buried  in 
its  trough — plunging,  rolling,  and  pitching  with  every  wild 
sweep  of  their  foot-hold,  and  withal  tenaciously  wrenching 
safety  for  their  cockleshell  against  the  violence  of  the  gale. 
Brooks  could  appreciate  it  to  the  full — he  had  been  there, 
too — it  fired  his  blood  to  enter  into  strife  with  the  elements 
— and  it  was  with  no  slight  effort  that  he  restrained  his 
impulse  to  lay  aloft  and  lend  a  hand. 

The  rain  lapsed  into  a  mere  spiteful  spitting,  the  clouds 
broke  up  and  drove  in  ragged  masses  across  patches  of  blue 
starry  sky,  but  the  wind  shrieked  louder  and  stronger, 
and  the  seas  were  heavier. 

Again — "  Reef  topsails!"  and  this  time  the  fore  and  main 
were  close  reefed  and  the  mizzen  furled  and  well  lashed 
to  the  yard :  lashings  were  also  put  on  the  other  sails  that 
had  been  furled.  Storm  sails  were  broken  out  and  bent, 
preventer  braces  put  on  the  weather  yard  arms,  life  lines 
stretched  along  the  decks,  hatches  battened  down,  and 
everything  movable  was  securely  lashed. 

The  barometer  was  still  falling,  even  more  rapidly 
than  ever;  a  very  dangerous  sea  was  running — billow  after 
billow  came  up  astern — they  seemed  higher  than  the  royal 
yards — and  about  to  topple  in  a  cataract  upon  the  ship's 
deck  as  she  lay  for  a  moment  in  the  yawning  trough, 
until  they  proceeded  onward  and  lifted  her  to  their  crest. 
The  iron  bound  coast  of  Patagonia — a  lee  shore! — was 
not  far  distant  if  the  reckoning  was  correct;  and  if  not — if 
the  ship  had  over-run  (as  was  most  likely  the  case),  it 
would  then  be  hazardous  in  the  extreme  to  drive  on  before 
this  gale  in  the  darkness  of  night:  the  Captain,  therefore, 


210      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

decided  to  lay  the  ship  to  the  wind.  The  foretopsail  was 
furled  and  lashed  to  the  yard;  the  storm  mizzen  set,  and 
spanker  taken  in;  fore  storm  staysail  hoisted  instead  of 
the  head  sail  carried  until  that  time ;  main  topsail  braced 
up  a  little;  helm  put  down  at  an  opportune  moment;  and 
the  ship  came  easily  up  till  the  wind  was  just  forward  of 
the  beam,  and  there  she  lay — falling  off,  coming  to,  drift- 
ing to  leeward,  rising  and  falling  with  each  succeeding  sea 
as  gracefully  as  the  albatrosses  that  rode  the  waves  about 
her. 

It  was  now  nearly  four  o'clock — a  dismal,  cold,  raw, 
tempestuous  morning,  with  a  leaden  sky  and  a  wild  foamy 
sea. 

Mr.  Northrup  and  Brooks  were  about  to  seek  their  state- 
rooms again  with  the  hope  that  exhaustion,  at  least,  would 
bring  on  sleep,  when  they  heard  the  Captain  say  in  an 
undertone  to  the  First  Mate  who  had  just  come  on  deck 
for  his  morning  watch:  "Mr  Hawse,  I  will  send  a  few 
bottles  of  whiskey  to  your  room — the  men  are  all  wet, 
and  have  had  a  hard  watch — I  wish  you  would  call  them 
in,  a  couple  at  a  time,  and  give  them  a  good  drink  to  warm 
them  up  before  turning  in." 

"Very  well,  sir,"  answered  the  Mate:  "that  will  go  to 
the  right  spot,  and  warm  their  hearts  toward  you,  also." 

Mr.  Northrup 's  room  was  adjoining  the  Mate's  quarters, 
and  as  he  lay  in  his  berth,  unable  to  sleep,  he  heard  the 
men  come  in,  each  get  his  three  fingers'  gauge  from  the 
Mate  with  the  admonition:  "Now  don't  go  slouching 
around  the  old  man — I  don't  want  him  smell  that  on  you 
and  ask  where  you  got  it." 

"All  right,  sir — I  won't  give  nobody  away";  and  on  the 
way  out  to  the  deck,  as  he  met  the  next  applicant  for 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  211 

spirituous  consolation,  he  remarked — "The  Mate's  a 
brick." 

All  day  the  storm  raged  with  unabated  fury:  no  sun, 
but  driving  clouds  with  sleet. 

As  always  happens  in  a  seaway,  a  number  of  moderate 
waves  followed  one  another  with  regular  uniformity,  and 
these  the  ship  would  ride  beautifully;  but  then  surged  along 
an  abnormal  combing  mass — a  rude  intrusion  into  the 
rhythmical  sequence  of  even  a  storm,  which  broke  upon  the 
ship's  side  with  a  stunning  thud,  topped  the  rail  with  its 
crest,  and  swept  the  decks  with  yeasty  foam.  Everything 
was  wet — wet  through  and  through — soaked;  and  the 
running  rigging  was  so  stiff  that  the  men  could  hardly 
straighten  it  out:  there  were  kinks  and  refractory  bends 
from  bow  to  stern — all  typical  of  the  First  Mate's  temper. 

Mr.  Northrup  remarked  to  him:  "Well,  Mr.  Hawse, 
there  was  something  after  all  in  last  night's  indications; 
we  are  not  bowling  along  on  our  course  now,  nor  does  there 
seem  to  be  much  prospect  of  doing  so  soon,  as  you  said." 

"  If  /'had  command,  we'd  be  making  ten  knots  an  hour 
direct  for  the  Gulf  of  Penas,  under  to 'gallant  sails:  this  is 
no  storm  to  be  laying-to  for — wasting  time,"  growled  the 
Mate. 

"  Your  opinion  is  not  shared  by  some  of  the  seamen,  at 
any  rate,"  answered  Mr.  Northrup.  "I  was  on  deck  all 
night  until  the  ship  was  laid  to  the  wind;  and  I  heard  the 
seaman  at  the  wheel  and  the  one  who  later  got  astride  of 
the  weather  yard  arm  while  reefing,  say  that  the  gale  was 
one  of  the  heaviest  they  had  ever  seen;  and  that  the  sea 
in  particular  was  the  most  dangerous  they  had  ever  at- 
tempted to  run  before:  they  wondered  how  much  longer 
the  Captain  was  going  to  keep  on;  and  this  was  an  hour 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


or  more  before  the  ship  lay-to.  After  going  below,  I 
couldn't  sleep,  and  I  heard  one  man  coming  out  of  your 
room  say  to  another  who  was  evidently  looking  for  some- 
thing —  '  In  here,  Mike,  you'll  get  a  drop  for  that  weather 
earing.'  'By  —  that  was  a  tough  job,'  answered  the  other. 
I  recognized  the  voices  as  those  of  the  two  seamen  already 
spoken  of:  they  are,  no  doubt,  among  the  most  capable 
and  experienced  in  the  ship,  or  they  would  not  have  such 
important  stations  in  a  critical  period." 

The  Mate  found  it  necessary  to  busy  himself  at  once 
with  ship's  matters;  and  Mr.  Northrup  walked  away, 
jotting  down  another  mental  note  to  his  discredit. 

On  the  poop,  Northrup  met  the  Captain,  who  looked 
haggard  and  worn  —  he  had  slept  but  a  few  hours  during 
the  forenoon. 

"Captain,  this  is  quite  a  contrast  with  a  few  days  ago." 

"Yes,"  replied  Colburn;  "  but  it  is  what  we  must  expect: 
the  coast  of  Patagonia  is  a  stormy  region.  The  wind  will 
be  mostly  between  south  and  west  —  raw  at  times,  but 
always  strong.  We  shall  have  no  more  of  those  soft  days 
of  the  Trade  Wind  zone  until  we  enter  the  same  belt  in 
the  Atlantic." 

"  It  will  be  pretty  hard  on  your  little  crew,  if  last  night 
is  a  foretaste  of  it,"  said  Northrup. 

"  O  it  will  not  all  be  as  bad  as  that,"  answered  the  Cap- 
tain. "Besides,  that  kind  of  work  makes  the  men  feel 
their  power  and  strength,  and  they  like  it.  The  man  who 
straddles  the  yard  arm  in  a  gale  and  passes  the  weather 
earing  in  the  teeth  of  such  wind  and  rain  as  we  had  last 
night  —  who  is  dipped  almost  into  the  sea  with  every  roll, 
and  still  holds  on  and  does  his  work,  is  full  of  courage  and 
manhood,  and  he  knows  it:  he  knows,  too,  that  the  safety 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  213 

of  the  ship,  in  a  measure,  depends  on  his  work,  and  that  he 
is  doing  that  work  against  heavy  odds. 

"  His  life  brings  him  into  contact  with  the  rough,  crude 
conditions  of  both  his  fellow-man  and  the  forces  of  nature : 
it  is  a  harsh  struggle,  stripped  of  everything  softening, 
refining,  and  sympathetic — the  grating  of  granite  crag 
against  flinty  boulder  in  everything  human  and  material. 

"There  is  an  immense  difference  between  the  steam- 
ship sailor  and  the  sailing-ship  seaman:  the  former  has 
no  sail  to  handle — no  part  to  play  in  the  motive  power: 
he  merely  presses  the  electric  button  and  the  engine  does 
the  rest.  The  vessel  proceeds  directly  into  the  wind's  eye, 
toward  her  port,  seldom  has  to  slow  down,  and  never  lolls 
in  a  calm.  The  man  acquires  the  character  of  this  mechan- 
ism— a  kind  of  drudge  to  attend  to  its  cleansing,  oiling, 
feeding,  and  other  bodily  wants.  There  is  nothing  inspirit- 
ing in  this — nothing  to  awaken  pride,  ambition,  or  a  sense 
of  individuality :  one  man  can  do  it  nearly  as  well  as  another. 
When  it  rains  or  blows,  there  is  little  to  call  him  out  of  his 
kennel;  and  so,  having  neither  hardship  nor  inclemency 
to  encounter,  he  grows  up  without  the  development  that 
such  experiences  cultivate :  the  routine  of  a  steamer  breeds 
a  slow  and  easy  pace. 

"  But  the  man  who  has  to  reef  topsails  in  a  gale,  as  you 
saw  last  night;  or  who  has  to  tack  and  wear  for  days — 
obstinately  zig  zag  toward  his  anchorage,  always  in  sight, 
but,  like  the  mirage  of  the  desert,  ever  receding  upon 
approach,  by  reason  of  fitful  head  winds;  or  who,  in  light 
variable  airs,  has  patiently  to  trim  his  sails  to  profit  by 
every  cat's-paw — such  a  man  feels  that  the  progress  of 
the  ship  is  in  his  hands — that  it  is  upon  his  alertness,  skill, 
and  strength  she  goes;  and  this  feeling  begets  daring, 


214      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

courage,  and  self-reliance — quickness  of  perception,  judg- 
ment, and  action. 

"The  silent  obedience  of  the  soldier  is  proverbial: 
he  marches  and  countermarches,  deploys  and  fires  at  the 
word  of  command — nearly  all  his  action  is  of  the  unreason- 
ing kind :  but  the  cases  in  which  the  seaman  so  acts,  are  few; 
while  the  number  in  which  he  uses  both  intelligence  and 
discretion  in  carrying  out  orders,  are  legion. 

"Take,  for  example,  the  hoisting  of  a  boat  in  a  rough 
seaway:  she  comes  alongside — the  Mate  gives  the  order  to 
hook  on;  the  boat  is  plunging — rising  and  falling  with 
every  wave;  the  men  in  the  bow  and  stern  have  these  con- 
ditions to  deal  with,  and  upon  their  skill  and  judgment 
depends  success — to  keep  from  being  swamped,  or  dashed 
against  the  ship's  side.  The  order  of  the  Mate  bore  only 
remotely  on  the  actual  time  of  doing  the  work,  and  not 
at  all  on  the  manner. 

"Or  again:  an  anchor  conies  up  foul — covered  with 
turn  upon  turn  of  entangled  cable.  The  Mate  gives  the 
order  to  clear  it,  but  the  ingenuity  to  rid  the  tangle  is  in 
the  brain  of  the  men  who  actually  do  the  work. 

"So,  too,  when  light  sails  have  been  carried  too  long 
and  are  taken  in,  the  Mate  orders  the  to 'gallant  and  royal 
yard  men  aloft  to  furl  them :  they  get  there  to  find  their  airy 
perch  swinging  to  and  fro,  and  the  sail  either  thrashing 
about,  or  so  puffed  up  with  wind  that  it  is  only  after  a  hard 
struggle — gaining  inch  by  inch,  cautiously,  and  watching 
every  advantage — that  they  gather  the  canvas  to  the  yard 
and  pass  the  gaskets. 

"Or  once  more:  the  man  behind  the  gun  receives  the 
order  from  the  division  officer  to  fire — does  he  do  it  as 
the  soldier  does?  Not  at  all!  He  waits  and  watches — 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA 


the  speed  and  roll  of  the  ship,  the  bearing  of  the  target, 
the  direction  of  the  wind,  all  these  have  to  be  considered  — 
and  only  when  he  judges  all  the  conditions  favorable,  does 
he  pull  the  lock-string  and  send  the  missile  on  its  deadly 
errand. 

"  In  all  this  and  a  thousand  other  cases,  it  is  the  use  of 
the  seaman's  intelligence,  reason,  and  judgment,  and  not 
the  literal  obedience  of  specific  orders  that  most  avails 
in  accomplishing  good  work. 

"  Obedience  there  must  be,  of  course;  but  with  the  freest 
play  possible  to  all  the  faculties  that  contribute  to  the 
attainment  of  any  end:  and  herein  consists  the  great 
difficulty  of  command  on  board  ship  —  to  give  the  free  rein 
that  will  ensure  the  best  results  —  the  fullest  exercise  of 
individual  traits,  while  gently  checking  them  to  keep  on 
the  great  highway  of  discipline. 

"Outside  of  the  rare  qualities  that  can  do  this  well, 
the  officer  must  keep  a  tight  rein  on  himself:  a  child  would 
soon  learn  the  slang  word  uttered  in  a  moment  of  play  with 
it;  and  so  on  board  ship,  familiarity  slackens  discipline 
and  destroys  respect.  There  must  be  reserve  —  a  poise 
that  befits  command  —  that  comports  with  the  position 
of  him  to  whom  all  on  board  look  as  the  arbiter  of  every 
question  and  the  manager  of  all  their  affairs. 

"If  for  no  other  reason  than  the  qualities  it  cultivates, 
I  would  never  have  a  sailor  on  even  a  steamer  who  had 
not  made  at  least  three  long  voyages  in  a  sailing  ship; 
and  I  should  make  it  a  requisite  that  the  officers  of  a 
steamer  had  spent  three  years  in  a  sailing  ship." 

"  Captain,"  said  Northrup,  "you  have  given  me  a  better 
conception  of  the  career  of  the  seaman  than  I  ever  had: 
his  life  is  a  hard  one,  but  full  of  incident  and  responsibility; 


216      THE  VOYAGE  OP  THE  WENONAH 

and  it  has  the  great  merit  of  cultivating  the  courageous, 
enduring,  bold,  and  manly  qualities  of  the  human  being. 
"It  is  a  free,  open  life — far  more  so  even  for  the  common 
sailor  than  is  generally  thought;  and  if  more  captains 
were  imbued  with  your  ideas,  and  more  ships  were  man- 
aged in  the  way  this  one  is — especially,  if  the  commanding 
officer  have  the  loyal  support  of  his  subordinates — there 
would  be  far  fewer  complaints  of  brutality  and  hardship 
at  sea.  I  am  a  close  observer  of  men  and  things — my 
profession  requires  it — and  I  have  watched  with  interest 
and  concern  the  efforts  you  are  making  to  improve  the 
status  of  the  sailor.  It  is  poor  material,  I  see,  you  have  to 
work  upon;  but  there  is  nothing  in  the  world  whose  con- 
dition cannot  be  modified  in  the  long  run  by  persistent 
effort.  I  see  all  your  endeavor  is  toward  the  good,  and  I 
heartily  wish  you  success.  There!  I  have  expressed 
what  has  been  in  my  mind  ever  since  coming  aboard; 
and  if  my  sympathy  and  that  of  the  other  passengers  avail 
in  the  least,  you  now  know  that  we  feel  it  most  sincerely." 

"Thank  you,"  replied  Colburn:  "all  is  not  plain  sail- 
ing with  the  human  phase  of  life  at  sea,  any  more  than 
with  the  atmospheric  conditions :  we  can  only  try  to  weather 
the  storms  of  both  with  tact  and  skill." 

Toward  evening  the  barometer  ceased  falling — then 
rose  a  trifle — then  fell  a  little — a  kind  of  see-saw,  with  a 
general  upward  tendency:  this  was  the  first  symptom  of 
a  change ;  for  neither  wind  nor  sea  showed  any  indications 
of  subsidence.  The  Captain  did  not  wait  for  them, 
however,  knowing  full  well  they  would  not  be  long  delayed. 
He  shook  the  reefs  out  of  the  topsails,  set  the  courses,  and 
put  the  ship  on  her  course :  by  midnight  she  was  under  all 
sail)  except  royals,  making  ten  knots,  with  the  wind  free. 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  217 

The  morning  dawned  clear,  crisp,  and  dry — the  fore- 
runner of  a  fine  day:  the  breeze  was  fresh  and  the  ship 
bounded  on  with  the  spring  of  an  antelope,  under  every  inch 
of  canvas  that  could  be  spread :  the  sea,  however,  was  still 
heaving  with  the  commotion  into  which  it  had  been  lashed 
by  the  gale  of  the  preceding  day,  and  was  rolling  in  long, 
regular  billows.  The  ship  ascended  every  acclivity  much 
as  the  boy  climbs  the  hill  with  his  sled — deliberately; 
and  then  glided  down  the  slope,  just  as  he  speeds  to  the 
bottom  on  the  smooth  snow:  the  swell  was  so  long  and 
symmetrical  that  it  imparted  no  discomfort  to  the  motion 
of  the  ship.  The  weather  was  invigorating,  and  the  pas- 
sengers were  up  early  to  enjoy  it. 

At  seven  o'clock,  the  Captain  took  his  observations 
for  longitude  and  also  half  a  dozen  time-azimuths  to  deter- 
mine the  compass  errors  on  the  courses  he  should  prob- 
ably use.  Upon  working  out  the  observations,  he  was 
surprised  to  find  the  ship  nearer  the  coast  than  he  had 
expected,  even  after  making  liberal  allowance  for  over- 
running the  reckoning.  Lest  there  might  be  some  error, 
he  took  another  set  of  time-sights  at  nine  o'clock,  crossed 
them  with  those  at  seven,  as  a  Sumner,  and  found  the  first 
set  entirely  correct:  the  position  they  gave,  indicated  that 
they  should  sight  land  soon  after  noon,  and  be  at  anchor 
before  sunset. 

The  sun  was  now  radiant,  the  sky  a  deep  blue,  the 
horizon  a  clear-cut  circle,  the  air  bracing,  and  the  breeze 
light — altogether,  a  perfect  day,  such  as  instils  vigor  and 
elasticity  into  the  physical  frame,  hope  into  the  moral 
aspirations,  and  buoyancy  into  the  mental  activities.  All 
aboard  were  effervescing — full  of  exhilaration — eager  for 
movement  of  any  kind,  which  was  in  marked  contrast  with 


218      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  depression  brought  on  by  the  storm  and  leaden  sky  of 
the  preceding  day;  and  this  is  what  the  weather  will  pro- 
duce: the  human  organism  is  capable  of  any  exertion,  or 
unfit  for  the  least  effort,  according  as  the  sun  shines  or  not — 
as  the  air  is  crisp  or  soft. 

Everything  was  wet,  and  the  day  was  dry  and  fine;  so 
there  was  a  universal  exposure  of  things  to  light  and  air: 
the  running  rigging  was  thrown  off  the  pins  and  spread  out 
on  the  deck;  soggy  sou 'westers  were  pulled  apart  and  hung 
on  lines;  mouldy  shoes  were  set  in  the  sun;  damp  clothes 
put  to  air;  covers  taken  off  the  boats  and  their  sails  spread 
out  on  the  thwarts;  the  gear  in  the  tops  hung  over  their 
rims;  all  bunting  hoisted  as  in  gala  display  on  the  signal 
halliards;  hatches  uncovered,  skylights  raised,  port  holes 
opened — and  the  balmy  air  swept  through  the  ship,  sucked 
up  the  moisture,  and  replaced  its  clamminess  by  healthful 
dryness. 

At  noon  the  meridian  altitude  confirmed  the  morning 
observations,  so  that  every  one  was  on  the  alert  for  the  first 
sight  of  Patagonia.  A  lookout  was  sent  with  binocular 
glasses  to  the  fore  topsail  yard,  and  at  one  o'clock  the 
joyous  report  came  from  him. 

"Land  ho!" 

"  Where  away  ?"  asked  the  Mate  on  watch. 

"Right  ahead  and  on  the  port  bow — high,  bold  land." 

The  Captain's  calculations  were  correct — they  should 
be  at  anchor  by  evening.  A  good  breeze  was  driving  the 
ship  eight  knots  an  hour;  but  as  it  would  probably  fall 
light,  or  become  variable  on  approaching  the  coast, 
Colburn  decided  to  get  up  steam.  He  had  still  thirty- 
five  miles  to  run  to  the  anchorage  and  he  wanted  to  make 
it  before  dark. 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA  219 

Sam  Ruggles  now  puffed  with  pride  as  his  smoke  stack 
puffed  the  first  black  masses  from  the  newly  started  fires: 
he  wanted  to  show  that  in  the  last  resort  he  was  the  man 
to  come  to  the  rescue — albeit,  that  the  ship  could  sail  right 
in  to  her  anchorage  without  his  aid.  But  this  view  of  it  he 
would  not  acknowledge;  he  knew,  moreover,  that  for  some 
days  (until  they  came  out  in  the  Atlantic)  he  should  be  the 
most  important  personage  on  board — was  not  the  motive 
power  for  getting  through  the  channels  at  his  command  ? 

Every  once  in  a  while  he  came  up  from  the  engine  room, 
looked  over  the  hatch  in  a  supercilious  way  as  if  to  say, 
"  Your  sails  will  soon  be  no  good,  but  I'll  be  here  churning 
up  the  water."  At  four  o'clock  he  reported  steam  ready: 
the  ship  was  hove-to  with  the  main  topsail  to  the  mast — 
the  propeller  coupled — and  then  she  filled  away  again 
under  both  steam  and  sail. 

As  they  approached  the  land,  it  loomed  up  very  high  and 
hilly,  with  rounded  prominences,  all  covered  with  verdure. 

Everything  on  board  having  been  thoroughly  dried  by 
the  sunlight,  the  articles  were  returned  to  their  places  and 
the  decks  made  ship-shape. 

The  outlying  islets  came  into  view,  the  sea  subsided,  and 
the  breeze  grew  unsteady  and  light :  it  scarcely  added  now 
to  the  speed  given  by  the  propeller.  The  Captain  ordered 
the  sails  furled,  yards  squared,  anchors  gotten  ready, 
and  the  ship  otherwise  prepared  for  port.  The  First  Mate 
took  charge  on  the  poop,  the  Second  Mate  forward,  and 
the  Third  Mate  in  the  waist;  and  the  work  progressed 
so  rapidly  that  all  was  ready  as  they  passed  the  bold 
northern  headland  to  the  Gulf  of  Penas. 

The  Boatswain  was  ordered  to  call,  "All  hands  bring 
ship  to  anchor!"  and  then  the  Captain  took  charge  and 


220      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  other  officers  and  men  went  to  their  stations,  the  Cap- 
tain piloting  the  ship  in.  After  proceeding  to  the  east- 
ward a  short  distance  from  the  entrance,  the  bow  of  the 
ship  was  turned  to  the  northward  and  westward,  and  she 
entered  what  seemed  a  mere  nook — the  small  harbor  of 
Port  Otway,  amidst  silence  the  most  profound  and  im- 
pressive. 

The  last  rays  of  the  sun  still  shone  on  the  trees  and 
dense  vegetation  that  lined  the  shores  of  the  little  basin, 
but  neither  the  voice  of  man,  the  song  of  bird,  nor  the 
noise  of  beast  broke  that  awful  stillness.  Nor  well  could 
it;  for  none  was  there — it  was  the  quietude  of  complete 
absence  of  life,  save  that  on  board ! 

American  Ship  Wenonah, 

Port  Otway,  Patagonia. 

Friend  Bain:  I'll  write  you  a  few  words  about  our  pas- 
sage from  Callao  here.  It  was  longer  than  it  should  be: 
we  fooled  away  a  lot  of  time.  Colburn  had  some  Navy 
fad  about  the  compasses,  so  he  got  up  steam,  wasted  several 
tons  of  coal  (and  coal  costs  a  good  bit  down  here),  and 
went  through  what  he  calls  swinging  ship:  yes,  he  swung 
round  the  circle,  but  not  as  you  and  I  will  do  when  we  reach 
New  York,  if  we  ever  do.  Well,  we  spent  a  whole  morning 
of  as  fine  weather  as  I  ever  saw,  trying  to  find  out  what  was 
wrong  with  the  compasses:  he  fixed  them  up  himself  in 
San  Francisco,  instead  of  getting  a  regular  adjuster;  and  so 
when  we  got  south  of  the  Line,  I  suppose  he  thought  the 
north  point  ought  to  turn  round  and  look  toward  the  south 
pole. 

When  we  got  near  the  coast  of  Patagonia,  we  had  some 
fresh  breezes — did  he  take  advantage  of  them  ?  No :  he 
lay-to  for  a  whole  day !  We  might  have  made  two  hundred 


STORMY  WEATHER  OFF  PATAGONIA 

miles  on  our  course,  instead  of  drifting  to  leeward  under 
storm  sails!  Think  of  it — reefed  down  in  a  to 'gallant 
breeze ! 

The  men  were  furious;  they  almost  mutinied  at  such 
timidity  in  a  moderate  gale :  they  wanted  to  get  out  of  that 
bad  weather,  and  if  it  had  n't  been  for  a  little  whiskey  I 
had,  I  believe  they  would  have  risen;  but  I  gave  them  a 
good  tot  all  round  the  night  we  were  humbugging  with 
storm  sails  and  preventer  braces,  when  they  wanted  to  set 
all  sail  and  let  her  go. 

But  the  worst  remains  to  be  told.  At  Callao  we  took 
on  board  a  lawyer  named  Northrup  for  New  York.  He  goes 
among  the  men,  is  friendly  with  them,  especially  with  old 
Gower;  tells  them  all  kinds  of  yarns,  and  talks  to  them 
about  their  "profession"! 

Hell!  " profession"!  to  a  lot  of  beach  combers! 

Well,  he  and  the  other  passengers  got  Colburn  to  send 
some  of  these  lime  juicers  of  the  "  profession"  to  make  fun 
for  them  in  the  saloon — a  kind  of  variety  show — a  cross 
between  a  Bowery  theatre  and  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  meeting. 
Now  when  I  want  fun,  I'll  go  where  'tis  unadulterated— 
to  the  Bowery;  and  when  I  want  religion,  I'll  go  to  a  good 
old-time  camp  meeting  where  I  can  shout  with  the  rest; 
but  none  of  this  hybrid  combination  for  me.  Besides,  it 
breaks  down  discipline:  since  it's  been  going  on,  old  Gower 
has  gotten  so  good  that  he  is  n't  worth  a  damn:  you  want 
to  get  rid  of  him  first  thing  when  we  reach  New  York. 

Well,  I  stood  this  nonsense  as  long  as  I  could,  but  at 
last  I  broke  it  up :  I  showed  the  men  what  fools  they  were, 
to  be  chummy  with  these  passengers  aboard  here  when 
they  had  nobody  else  to  talk  to,  but  wouldn't  speak  to 
them  if  they  met  them  in  the  streets  of  New  York.  Oil 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


and  water  won't  mix:  neither  will  the  two  professions — 
the  lawyer's  and  the  doctor's  with  the  sailor's  "profes- 
sion!" 

These  high  toned  words  are  ruining  Jack — they  make 
him  think  he's  somebody:  better  keep  him  ignorant — 
under  the  yoke — a  beast  to  be  driven,  not  led,  nor  humored. 
I  take  no  stock  in  these  soft  ways  with  the  sailor — they 
spoil  him:  put  the  bit  in  his  mouth  and  keep  it  checked 
well  up — that's  my  way.  You  get  better  work  out  of  him. 
Throw  him  a  sop  when  you  must,  in  the  way  of  a  drink  or 
shore  liberty;  but  always  boom  it  up  as  a  great  privilege: 
never  talk  to  him  about  his  rights,  or  self-respect,  or 
decency — all  that  rot  demoralizes  him.  Now  that's  just 
what  these  passengers  are  doing,  and  Colburn  aint  got 
sense  enough  to  see  it. 

The  worst  case  is  the  way  they  spoiled  old  Gower — 
he's  not  worth  a  tinker's  dam  now:  he's  got  no  sand  any 
more — he  used  to  have.  You  know  his  weakness — rum: 
well,  he  won't  take  it  any  more:  I  offered  him  some  in 
pretty  bad  weather  we  had,  but  he  refused  it — think  of 
that!!!  I  expect  next  thing  to  see  him  reading  the  Bible 
every  day,  and  letting  the  ship's  work  go  more  to  hell  than 
he  is  doing.  He's  losing  his  grip  on  the  men.  And  all 
this  comes  of  the  missionary  work  of  the  passengers.  I'll 
keep  this  to  post  at  Sandy  Point. 

Yours  truly, 

JACOB  HAWSE,  First  Mate. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS 

Port  Otway,  Gulf  of  Penas,  Patagonia. 

THE  contrast  of  enlarged  with  contracted  ideas  is  forcibly 
brought  home  to  one  coming  in  from  the  unbounded  view 
of  the  Pacific  to  the  narrow  limits  of  Port  Otway — from 
the  dazzling  sunlight  of  the  open  heavens  to  the  semi- 
obscurity  of  a  land-locked  harbor — from  the  majesty  of 
wind  and  wave  in  fierce  commotion  to  the  pall  and  stillness 
of  complete  solitude!  The  mind  and  the  eye  are  still  full 
of  the  vastness  of  the  great  ocean — for  days  and  days 
nothing  appeared  to  afford  comparison  of  size  or  distance, 
so  that  when  the  limiting  lines  of  islet,  headland,  and 
harbor  come  into  view,  they  seem  unnatural  until  the  eye 
becomes  accustomed  to  them:  it  has  been  in  the  light  and 
must  conform  to  the  shade;  and  objects,  though  in  them- 
selves on  a  grandiose  scale,  require  time  to  appear  in  their 
proper  proportions. 

The  entrance  to  Port  Otway  is  not  very  wide,  but  as 
the  Wenonah  approached  it,  it  presented  the  illusion  of 
being  too  narrow  to  admit  the  ship ;  and  when  inside,  fears 
were  entertained  that  she  would  scrape  the  shore  in  swing- 
ing, whereas  there  was  a  good  clear  sweep  in  every  direc- 
tion from  a  central  anchorage.  And  it  is  only  an  anchor- 
age :  not  a  house,  not  a  habitation,  not  a  living  thing  of  any 
kind;  only  hills  covered  with  trees  enclosing  the  harbor — 
a  mere  basin. 


224      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

A  wooden  box  is  nailed  to  a  tree,  and  this  is  called  a  post- 
office:  passing  vessels  usually  drop  a  list  into  it  containing 
the  names  of  the  officers  and  men,  the  ship's  name,  date 
of  arrival,  where  from,  whither  bound,  and  condition  of 
health  on  board ;  it  is  a  melancholy  means  of  communica- 
tion between  way-farers  of  the  deep  on  bald  items.  And 
yet  it  is  an  intense  gratification  to  one  cut  off  from  the 
world  for  a  month  to  find  even  this  meagre  evidence  of 
man  having  been  there — to  open  the  box  and  find  an 
envelope  from  another  ship  with  other  names,  perhaps 
those  of  his  own  country — it  is  something  from  pulsating 
humanity!  Though  the  missive  be  in  a  foreign  language 
and  from  an  alien  land,  still  it  is  from  a  fellow  being,  and 
man  craves  even  this  link  with  his  kind. 

The  Patagonian  Channels  are  a  succession  of  natural 
waterways  formed  by  a  multitude  of  islands  scattered  along 
the  west  coast  of  the  mainland :  the  channels  run  into  one 
another  from  the  Gulf  of  Pefias  to  the  Straits  of  Magellan; 
and  are  often  narrow,  frequently  tortuous,  and  sometimes 
difficult  to  make  out  among  the  many  openings  that  lead 
from  sheets  of  water  into  which  they  expand  at  intervals. 
They  take  a  new  name  at  every  radical  turn,  and  this  name 
— English,  French,  or  Spanish — indicates  the  nationality 
that  has  borne  hardships  of  all  kinds — inclemency  of 
weather,  liability  to  shipwreck,  and  food  of  the  most  miser- 
able kind,  in  order  to  survey  these  routes  and  chart  their 
dangers  for  the  benefit  of  commerce.  It  was  a  great  work, 
and  well  done  in  the  face  of  every  conceivable  difficulty: 
from  the  charts  it  appears  that  the  officers  of  the  British 
Navy  were  foremost  in  this  undertaking,  and  the  tenacity 
with  which  they  held  to  it  is  equaled  only  by  the  skill  and 
intelligence  with  which  it  was  performed. 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         225 

The  channels  are  yet  far  from  being  completely  surveyed  : 
sources  of  danger  abound — hidden  rocks,  shoals,  narrow 
windings,  false  routes,  kelp,  and  swift  tides  that  threaten 
wreck  (and  wrecks  are  not  infrequent) ;  but  with  due  care, 
and  the  sailing  directions  and  charts  to  guide  him,  any 
captain  can  pilot  his  ship  from  entrance  to  exit  without 
mishap. 

Harbors  like  Port  Otway  occur  at  intervals,  and  the  run 
must  be  made  during  daylight  from  one  to  the  next,  or  to 
cover  a  stretch  over  two,  if  the  ship's  speed  is  equal  to  it. 
These  harbors  are  small  and  picturesque,  and  some  are 
extremely  beautiful;  but  O,  the  solitude  and  stillness  that 
reign  in  them,  and  the  total  absence  of  life  from  end  to  end 
of  the  route!  It  is  their  most  impressive  feature  outside 
of  the  grand  and  varied  scenery.  In  most  harbors,  the 
wooden  box — the  post-office,  is  established;  and  in  some 
harbors  boards  are  nailed  to  the  trees,  with  the  names  of 
ships  which  have  been  there,  painted  on  them:  they  give 
the  place  the  appearance  of  a  graveyard ;  and  in  fact  many 
of  them  are  really  commemorative  of  historic  ships  of  our 
Navy,  now  relegated  to  oblivion  with  only  these  simple 
tablets  in  a  distant  land  to  recall  their  achievements! 

At  Gray  Harbor  in  particular,  the  trees  have  been 
bleached  by  the  wind  and  weather,  which  adds  to  the 
mortuary  effect;  and  there,  may  be  seen  the  head-board 
of  the  Hartford  which  carried  Farragut  into  action  at 
Mobile;  and  of  the  Kearsarge  in  which  Winslow  fought 
the  Alabama;  and  of  the  Alliance  which  approached  the 
terrestrial  poles,  north  and  south,  as  near  as  any  other 
ship  of  our  Navy. 

The  Wenonah  passed  through  the  channels  in  the 
month  of  March,  corresponding  in  seasonal  order  to 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


September  in  northern  latitudes;  and  the  weather  was  that 
of  late  autumn  in  New  York.  Although  the  ship  was  to 
be  underway  at  dawn  of  the  day  following,  and  the  pas- 
sengers were  anxious  to  be  on  deck  to  enjoy  the  scenery, 
they  could  not  forego  the  charm  of  the  evening  —  the  clear 
blue  sky,  brilliant  with  stars;  the  mild,  soft  air;  the  quiet 
of  the  ship;  and  that  peaceful  repose  of  all  about  them. 

After  a  good  dinner,  more  enjoyable  because  eaten  at  a 
steady  board  where  one  did  not  have  to  wrench  and  writhe 
to  conform  to  the  ship's  motion,  the  awning  was  spread  on 
the  poop,  chairs  brought  up,  and  the  Captain  and  his 
passengers  assembled  to  enjoy  a  sociable  cigar  and  the 
companionship  that  was  every  day  growing  more  intimate 
and  delightful. 

For  some  time  no  one  spoke  —  all  seemed  under  the  spell 
of  a  serene  feeling.  At  length,  Northrup  said  in  a  jocular 
vein  :  "  Doctor,  this  seems  no  place  for  you  and  me  to  ply 
our  trades  —  no  sick,  no  contentions,  no  people;  but  what 
an  ideal  place  to  transplant  a  few  families  and  watch  their 
growth  and  development  under  natural  conditions!  The 
original  garden  of  Eden  could  n't  have  been  more  free  from 
moulding  influences,  other  than  those  of  nature." 

"That's  true,"  said  Doctor  Austin;  "but  my  theory  is 
that  every  man  is  born  into  this  world  much  as  Adam  was 
set  down  in  Paradise  —  with  his  future  very  much  in  his 
own  hands  :  to  develop  his  physique  ill  or  well  ;  to  become 
a  man  of  principle,  guided  by  well  thought-out  springs  of 
action,  or  a  moral  weather-vane  swinging  to  every  impulse; 
to  acquire  refinement  of  manners,  or  lapse  into  boorish 
ways;  to  have  a  cultivated  mind  full  of  carefully  selected 
information,  or  a  brain  barren  of  all  but  what  grows  up 
wild  —  a  morass  of  useless  items. 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS 


"I  believe  man  to  be  made  to  the  image  and  likeness 
of  God  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  phrase  —  endowed  with 
many  of  His  attributes.  True,  he  cannot  make  a  tree  or 
a  living  thing  out  of  its  component  elements  —  that  creative 
power  God  has  reserved  to  Himself;  but  consider  what  man 
has  made,  both  materially  and  intellectually:  the  beautiful 
structures  of  architecture;  the  ponderous  machines  of 
labor;  the  stupendous  railway  systems  with  their  marvels 
of  tunnel,  bridge,  and  trestle;  the  leviathans  of  the  deep 
for  both  commerce  and  warfare  —  all  filled  with  a  network 
of  ingenious  devices  for  every  purpose  ;  the  delicate  mechan- 
isms of  infinite  variety  for  measuring  time,  space,  and 
matter;  the  paintings,  that  upon  a  flat  surface  represent 
objects  in  all  their  naturalness  of  form,  color,  and  expres- 
sion; the  sculpture,  that  into  a  marble  block  can  throw  the 
reality  of  an  animated  creature  —  everything  but  the  vital 
spark;  the  refined  theorems  of  mathematics;  the  grand  com- 
positions of  music;  the  discoveries  of  science;  the  master- 
pieces of  literature;  the  elaborate  machinery  of  government 
for  framing,  administering,  and  executing  laws  suitable  not 
only  to  congeries  of  people  in  themselves,  but  also  in  their 
relations  to  other  communities  ;  the  inventions  to  kill,  and 
the  remedies  to  cure;  the  pitfalls  to  debase,  and  the  heights 
to  elevate  —  with  this  moulding,  making,  modifying  faculty 
that  has  wrought  so  much  in  every  activity  into  which  it  has 
been  directed,  man  can  make  of  himself  pretty  much  what 
he  will,  morally,  mentally,  and  physically,  if  he  will  devote 
himself  to  the  task  with  the  same  assiduity  that  he  does  to 
the  acquisition  of  wealth,  or  fame,  or  the  improvement  of 
his  material  condition  and  surroundings." 

"Ah  .'"interrupted  Northrup;  "  the  surroundings  !  there 
you  have  a  tremendous  power  to  reckon  with:  their  reflex 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


influence  constitutes  a  breast-work  that  must  be  attacked 
every  day  ere  one  can  make  any  decided  progress  in  his  own 
personal  improvement." 

"O,  I  don't  lose  sight  of  the  surroundings,"  replied  the 
Doctor:  "I  should  be  blind  to  do  so,  with  their  influence 
brought  home  to  me  every  day  in  my  profession;  but,  as 
with  a  number  of  magnets  of  varied  size  dangling  from 
strings  —  each  influencing  the  other  —  yet  a  large  one, 
brought  into  their  midst,  will  dominate  the  whole;  so,  while 
every  individual  has  characteristics  peculiar  to  himself,  and 
is  affected  in  a  measure  by  those  about  him,  still  a  man  of 
strong,  determined  character  will  control  the  situation 
and  command  in  it,  and  not  be  moulded  by  it;  and  this 
strength  and  determination  he  can  to  some  extent  acquire 
by  cultivation  :  if  he  sees  the  evil  tendencies  in  their  incep- 
tion, he  can  successfully  grapple  and  throttle  them. 

"To  admit  that  certain  traits  are  woven  into  man's 
nature  by  heredity,  does  not  admit  that  he  cannot  control 
their  tendencies  ;  or  that  he  is  not  accountable  for  any  acts 
that  may  result  from  giving  them  free  rein  :  on  the  contrary, 
there  is  nothing  in  man's  physical,  mental,  or  moral 
organization  which  cannot  either  be  improved  or  degraded  ; 
he  forms  no  exception  to  the  universal  principle  —  that 
cultivation  improves,  and  neglect  causes  deterioration. 
Man  may  make  of  himself  a  high  order  of  being  —  capable 
of  emitting  a  beneficent  influence  around  him;  or  he  can 
become  a  noxious  weed,  fit  only  for  the  brush  heap  and 
the  flames.  No,  it  would  be  denial  of  his  free  will,  to 
assert  that  he  is  a  mere  automaton  in  the  grasp  of  a  wicked 
inheritance  and  bad  environment  —  moved  to  evil  by  every 
vicious  spring,  without  power  to  resist;  it  would  be  an 
excuse  for  —  nay,  an  authorization  of  all  the  sins  he  is  prone 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         229 

to,  and  capable  of  committing.  It  would  remove  both  the 
healthy  sentiment  of  self-control  that  curbs  the  animal 
within  him,  and  the  equally  wholesome  fear  of  punish- 
ment that  deters  from  infraction  of  the  law. 

"I  fully  admit  the  influence  of  association:  the  smell 
of  the  stable  is  not  more  distinctive  of  the  hostler,  than  our 
bad  habits,  coarse  manners,  and  hazy  notions  of  right  and 
wrong,  are  of  evil  companions;  whether  these  be  other 
persons  or  our  own  thoughts. 

"  There  are,  of  course,  veins  of  heredity  and  individual- 
ity in  every  nature;  and  one  will  accomplish  most  by  study- 
ing his  own  characteristics — what  he  inclines  to,  as  well 
as  what  repels  him — and  cultivating  his  bent,  provided 
it  be  not  to  the  bad.  But  I've  had  the  floor  already  too 
long,  and  would  like  to  hear  from  the  opposing  counsel; 
for  I  think,  Mr.  Northrup,  you  are  not  entirely  of  my  mind. " 

"Only  in  so  far  as  it  is  a  partial  view;  but  one  side  of 
a  story  conveys  an  inadequate  statement  of  the  case — you 
remember  the  fable  of  the  blind  men  and  the  elephant: 
six  Hindoos  sought  knowledge  of  the  animal  by  personally 
inspecting  him — albeit,  they  were  blind:  the  first  ap- 
proached the  beast  and  encountering  his  massive  flank, 
pronounced  him  like  a  wall;  the  second  felt  his  tusk — 
smooth,  round,  and  sharp,  and  decided  he  was  like  a  spear; 
the  third  fell  foul  of  his  squirming  trunk  and  concluded  he 
was  of  the  snake  family;  the  fourth  felt  about  from  leg  to 
leg  and  judged  the  elephant  must  resemble  the  trees  of  the 
forest;  the  fifth  chanced  to  touch  only  the  flabby  ears,  and 
likened  the  animal  to  a  fan;  while  the  sixth  in  his  groping 
caught  hold  of  the  swinging  tail  and  confidently  asserted 
the  beast  to  be  like  a  rope — and  so  each  was  partly  right, 
but  as  to  the  whole,  entirely  wrong. 


230      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"You,  Doctor,  have  stated  only  the  beneficent  side  of 
the  question,  as  is  quite  natural  you  should,  being  engaged 
in  doing  good  to  your  kind :  unfortunately,  I  have  had  to  do 
principally  with  man's  malevolence,  and  could  talk  most 
volubly  of  that;  but  not  tonight,  'tis  late  and  we  must  be 
up  with  the  lark  if  we  would  hear  even  his  lone  notes  in 
this  dreadful  solitude."  And  so  saying,  the  group  broke 
up,  and  soon  the  silence  of  the  ship  was  added  to  the 
silence  of  the  shore. 

Island  Harbor. 

The  next  morning  at  five  the  Wenonah  was  underway, 
steaming  down  the  Gulf  of  Penas:  the  water  was  smooth, 
sky  of  a  leaden  hue,  and  the  air  soft  and  humid — a  depres- 
sing, enervating  day.  Eventually,  the  ship  left  the  broad 
waters  of  the  Gulf  and  entered  Messier  Channel:  it  was 
quite  wide,  however,  easily  followed,  and  comparatively 
direct,  with  few  shoals  and  little  kelp.  This  kelp  is  a  long, 
tough,  snaky  sea  weed  which  may  be  loose  and  merely 
floating  on  the  water — liable  to  clog  the  propeller;  or  it 
may  be  the  surface  growth  of  a  hidden  rock:  a  lookout 
is  stationed  aloft  to  keep  a  watch  for  it  and  report  its 
location. 

The  Channel  was  like  a  river;  and  gliding  down  its 
smooth  surface,  with  trees  and  shrubbery  lining  the  banks, 
was  a  most  agreeable  sensation  compared  with  the  tossing 
on  the  broad  ocean  with  only  sky  and  sea  forever  meeting 
in  outline. 

The  passengers  had  no  occasion  to  worry  over  dangers 
of  navigation,  or  determining  the  right  channel  among 
several  openings  formed  by  islets  and  jutting  headlands; 
and  so  could  give  themselves  up  to  free  and  full  enjoyment 
of  the  scenery. 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         231 

The  Captain  established  himself  in  the  pilot  house  for- 
ward :  there,  with  chart,  sailing  directions,  deviation  table, 
dividers,  parallel  rulers,  binocular  glasses,  and  a  compass 
mounted  in  its  binnacle,  he  kept  a  sharp  eye  on  land  and 
water  to  direct  the  ship's  course.  With  a  motion  of  the 
hand  to  the  helmsman  aft,  he  guided  the  ship  to  starboard 
or  to  port — with  a  rank  sheer,  or  little  by  little — suddenly, 
or  slowly — each  according  to  the  requirements  of  the  case; 
and  by  other  signals  to  the  engine  room,  he  moved  cau- 
tiously where  danger  seemed  to  be,  or  sped  swiftly  where 
no  harm  threatened. 

About  mid-day  the  weather  cleared,  the  sun  came  out 
genial  and  bright,  the  scenery  grew  varied  and  pleasing, 
and  as  a  consequence,  a  cheerful,  buoyant  feeling  invested 
all  on  board. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  the  ship  reached  a  snug  cove 
called  Island  Harbor  where  she  came  to  anchor,  it  being 
too  far  to  the  next  anchorage  to  make  it  by  daylight;  and 
running  at  night  was  impracticable.  The  evening  was  very 
fine,  and  after  dinner  our  party  gathered  on  the  poop  for  a 
sociable  talk. 

"  Mr.  Northrup,"  said  the  Doctor,  "remember  you  owe 
us  your  views  on  the  subject  of  our  conversation  last  even- 
ing— the  improvement  of  man's  natural  qualities." 

"Man,  as  I  have  found  him,"  replied  Northrup,  "is  a 
very  different  being  from  what  he  may  be  made.  If  taken 
in  the  malleable,  receptive  condition,  and  worked  up,  there 
is  no  doubt  a  fine  product  may  be  evolved  from  good  raw 
material;  and  even  indifferent  qualities  can  be  improved. 
Such  care  can  be  taken  of  the  child's  eyes,  teeth,  stomach, 
and  other  organs,  as  will  ensure  their  proper  action  in 
mature  years,  untrammelled  by  the  ailments  that  neglect 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


brings  on.  In  fact,  as  with  the  athlete,  the  whole  physique 
may  be  so  developed  as  to  produce  a  magnificent  specimen 
of  manhood.  So  with  the  mind :  it  can  be  trained  to  per- 
ceive clearly,  to  observe  accurately,  to  judge  justly — to 
cope  intelligently  with  the  affairs  of  life  and  hold  them  with 
a  firm  grasp.  Similarly,  with  the  moral  nature:  truth — 
rigid  honesty  of  intent,  word,  and  act, — no  ingenious 
variant  of  mere  policy  or  expediency;  but  plain,  straight- 
forward truth  in  all  things — can  be  ground  into  youth,  so 
that  when  he  comes  to  man's  estate,  he  will  be  esteemed 
and  trusted. 

"  I  regard  truth  in  its  large  sense — man's  conduct  as  well 
as  his  speech — stripped  of  all  craft,  duplicity,  and  guile — 
as  the  corner  stone  both  of  morality  as  a  duty  to  God,  and 
of  worldly  polity  as  a  means  of  success ;  for  when  a  position 
of  extraordinary  responsibility  is  to  be  filled,  what  is  the 
trait  most  sought  in  the  candidate? 

"Ability  to  discharge  its  duties — yes,  of  course;  but  this 
is  intellectual:  but  between  two  men  of  equal  mental 
capacity,  which  will  be  selected — he  who  is  known  to  gain 
his  ends  by  cunning,  deceit,  and  all  the  other  qualities 
of  the  fox;  or  he  whose  integrity  and  reliability  are  beyond 
question  ?  I  think  our  daily  experience  will  readily  supply 
the  answer. 

"But  man  developed  in  the  way  I've  indicated,  is  the 
ideal  possibility :  now  what  is  the  reality  ? 

"  You  have  only  to  look  at  what  is  brought  out  every  day 
in  the  courts  (where  even  but  a  small  fraction  of  the  world's 
iniquity  is  exposed),  to  see  how  bad  tendencies  seem  to 
control.  In  the  police  courts  we  have  petty  thefts,  drunken 
brawls,  default  in  small  debts — the  exhibition  of  low  life 
in  all  its  wrangling  coarseness,  brutal  and  nude. 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         233 

"  Step  into  the  next  court  above — criminal  or  civil — and 
what  do  we  find  ?  Greater  infractions  of  law,  some  under 
euphonious  names:  embezzlement,  counterfeiting,  fraudu- 
lent voting,  bribery,  forgery,  perjury,  murder,  and  the 
quarrels  of  marital  life  in  which  man  and  woman  accuse 
each  other  of  acts  that  seem  possible  only  to  beasts  with 
claws  and  birds  with  talons.  Still  higher,  and  we  reach 
crimes  and  criminals  on  a  gigantic  scale:  wrecking  of 
railroads ;  flooding  mediocre  enterprises  with  watered  stock; 
combinations  of  capital  for  suppression  of  competitors; 
procuration  of  special  laws  for  individual  benefit;  corpora- 
tions giving  secret  rebates  to  favored  persons  which  enables 
them  to  amass  wealth  in  staggering  amounts;  systems  of 
corruption  and  graft  devised  by  political  machines  for 
maintaining  their  organizations  and  enriching  their  mem- 
bers— a  poison  as  baneful  to  morality  as  the  exhalations  of 
a  cesspool  to  health. 

"  And  throughout  this  whole  fabric  of  iniquity  (which  is 
not  a  tithe  of  what  might  be  named)  runs  the  LIE  in  all  its 
variety:  the  brazen  lie,  the  flippant  lie,  the  complaisant  lie, 
the  politic  lie,  the  malicious  lie,  the  commercial  lie,  the  lie 
to  cover  up  a  lie,  until  one  sickens  at  the  torrent  of  untruth 
streaming  from  the  lips  of  humanity! 

"  It  is  written  that  God  abhors  a  liar — where,  then,  will 
place  be  found  for  all  the  liars  that  throng  the  Earth! 

"Man  is  full  of  passions,  appetites,  and  malevolent 
inclinations  forever  pushing  him  toward  crime,  with 
vicious  surroundings  attracting  him  on  every  hand:  to 
counteract  this,  what  has  he?  Some  tendency  to  good, 
assisted  by  early  training;  and  according  to  the  violence 
of  the  evil  or  the  strength  of  the  good,  we  have  the  real 
man — a  varying  compound  of  sin  and  virtue  in  the  indi- 


234      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

vidual,  in  the  community,  in  the  race,  and  in  the  nation. 

"But  there  are  many  channels  besides  the  courts, 
through  which  iniquity  flows:  in  commerce  it  takes  one 
form;  in  politics,  another;  in  the  social  order,  a  third — the 
vicious  vein  permeates  all  life,  only  its  aspects  are  diverse. 
Even  at  sea,  its  chameleon  hues  may  be  found — is  it  not 
so,  Captain?" 

"Indeed  it  is,"  answered  Colburn:  "deceit  is  a  rank 
growth  with  us.  Malicious  gossip  is  rife  on  board  ship — 
it  is  the  bane  of  sea  life  .  .  .  ." 

The  Captain  stopped  short — he  spoke  with  emphasis, 
and  lest  his  heat  should  carry  him  too  far,  he  said,  "  Excuse 
me,  Mr.  Northrup;  I  am  interrupting  your  conversation." 

"Not  at  all,"  said  Northrup:  "I  should  like  to  learn 
something  of  the  crooked  ways  of  the  sea,  since  I  am 
familiar  with  the  devious  paths  ashore — it  will  be  interest- 
ing to  compare  them." 

In  reality,  he  led  up  to  this  point,  hoping  to  make  Col- 
burn  speak  of  conditions  on  board — he  wanted  to  ascertain 
how  much  he  knew  of  the  cauldron  of  treachery  seething 
beneath  him;  but  Colburn  would  only  say, 

"No;  talking  is  not  my  strong  suit:  I  have  to 
deal  too  much  with  the  hard  realities  of  life,  to  study  them 
closely;  but  on  that  very  account  I  am  glad  to  hear  your- 
self and  Doctor  Austin  discuss  them." 

"Well,"  continued  Northrup;  "there  are  many  ignoble 
tendencies  in  man  which  are  not  always  within  the  pur- 
view of  the  law;  but  which,  none  the  less,  are  opposed  to 
moral  standards  and  right  living:  they  are  all  streaked  with 
greed  for  money — Graft,  properly  called  Theft. 

"Consider  the  most  petty — the  practise  of  servants: 
the  butler,  coachman,  valet,  lady's  maid  and  other  pur- 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         235 

veyors  of  household  and  bodily  needs — they  levy  tribute  on 
the  dealers  of  supplies  for  the  trade  given  them,  and  have 
it  added  to  the  price  of  the  articles  bought.  It  is  an 
organized  system — a  perquisite  of  office  regarded  as  legiti- 
mate. That  the  masters  are  able  to  pay,  does  not  lessen 
the  dishonesty  of  the  practise — it  is  thieving,  bald  and  bare. 

"  Another  phase  of  graft  came  to  light  not  long  ago  in  a 
libel  suit  in  New  York;  and  it  is  lamentable,  the  personal 
characteristics  disclosed  by  the  suit.  Possessed  (as  those 
exposed,  were)  of  great  wealth,  and  with  surroundings 
which  should  incite  to  higher  aspirations  and  refined 
sentiments,  they  nevertheless  long  for  the  husks  of  life — 
for  mere  publicity — to  be  seen  by  all  and  talked  of  by 
everybody.  An  astute  publisher  saw  in  them  a  mine  to 
work,  and  produced  a  costly  volume  of  biography,  ex- 
clusively for  those  able  to  pay  the  entrance  fee — and  a  big 
one  it  was. 

"And  this  is  the  class  always  cited  as  prominent  in  the 
community!  Yes,  for  wealth  and  its  vainglorious  expen- 
diture. It  is  deplorable  how  their  performances  affect  the 
multitude — inspiring  them  with  a  thirst  for  the  frivolous 
and  spectacular — the  multitude  that  flock  to  the  opera  at 
exorbitant  prices,  to  enjoy — not  the  music,  but  the  efful- 
gence of  the  diamond  horse  shoe! 

"  Corruption  is  the  yoke-fellow  of  graft,  and  both  devise 
the  basest  measures  to  degrade  man.  Look  at  what  the 
Insurance  Investigation  in  New  York  uncovered — money 
contributed  regularly  in  stupendous  amounts  to  bribe 
legislators  and  buy  votes  at  elections! 

"  But  this  bribery  seems  to  be  only  a  part  of  an  extensive 
project  to  govern  the  country  according  to  the  views  of 
organized  wealth — each  corporation  seeking  to  influence 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


governmental  functions  in  its  own  interest — the  concerted 
action  of  'a  few  ruthless  domineering  men,  whose  wealth 
makes  them  peculiarly  formidable  because  they  hide  behind 
the  breastworks  of  corporate  organization.' 

"The  insurance  people  are  especially  despicable:  they 
used  the  savings  entrusted  to  them  for  dependent  relatives ; 
and  the  men  who  did  this  were  not  of  the  class  trained  in 
the  dives  of  the  city,  whose  environment  might  bespeak 
such  action.  No,  they  were  brought  up  in  homes  of  com- 
fort, educated  in  colleges,  and  surrounded  with  incentives 
to  right  living — who,  until  the  mask  was  torn  off,  posed 
as  the  pillars  of  every  business  enterprise!  In  reality,  they 
are  moral  lepers. 

"But  the  most  colossal  system  of  graft  is  practised  by 
the  Trust — that  monster  of  insatiable  maw  which  is  in- 
trenched in  almost  every  branch  of  commerce,  and  worms 
its  eel-like  tentacles  into  the  pockets  of  every  person  in 
the  land.  There  is  a  tropical  plant,  devoid  of  leaves,  but 
full  of  black  snaky  twigs  having  suckers  that  secrete  a 
sticky  fluid :  by  means  of  these  twigs  it  reaches  out,  fastens 
upon  its  prey,  and  saps  its  life.  And  such  is  the  Com- 
mercial Trust:  it  fastens  upon  all  of  us  and  absorbs  our 
substance — softly,  steadily,  as  the  leech  sucks  our  blood 
in  sickness;  but  unlike  the  leech  (which,  when  gorged, 
falls  off),  the  Trust  never  lets  go,  but  feeds  on  and  on 
while  we  have  aught  to  give. 

"I  would  raise  no  cry  against  associations  of  capital 
honestly  conducted  under  equitable  laws  and  a  low  tariff; 
but  against  those  that  under  a  high  protective  tariff  get 
special  privileges,  and  form  combinations  for  exorbitant 
profits. 

"Take,  for  instance,  the  products  of  the  Steel  Trust — 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         237 

rails,  beams,  tools,  hardware,  and  other  forms  of  the  metal : 
they  are  sold  in  Europe  and  Asia,  even  in  far  off  Man- 
churia, for  less  (according  to  the  article,  for  twenty  to  fifty 
per  cent  less)  than  to  the  people  of  the  United  States, 
although  made  by  the  same  Trust  at  our  very  doors;  and 
this  in  competition  with  the  manufacturers  of  steel  in  other 
countries.  Could  it  be  done  if  the  products  were  sold 
abroad  for  the  same  price  as  at  home  ?  No :  we  pay  the 
high  price  in  order  to  compensate  for  the  small  profits 
on  foreign  sales.  The  high  tariff  enacted  in  the  interest 
of  the  steel  industry,  enables  the  Trust  to  exact  these 
unequal  rates  from  its  own  countrymen ;  and  hence  we  pay 
high  rents  for  our  houses  into  which  the  steel  products 
enter  in  one  way  or  other. 

"And  the  profits  of  the  Steel  Trust  have  their  counter- 
part in  nearly  every  article  we  need,  as  shown  by  the  in- 
creased cost  of  living  during  the  ten  years  prior  to  1905: 
for  various  commodities — all,  necessaries  of  life — the 
increase  ranges  from  twenty  to  sixty  per  cent.  Such,  in 
great  part,  is  the  result  of  the  monopolistic  reign  of  Trusts ! 
And  it  is  not  by  high  prices  alone  they  bleed  us,  but  in  the 
quality  of  the  goods — these  are  inferior  to  what  they  were 
ten  years  ago. 

"  The  picking  on  the  bones  of  a  single  policy-holder  is 
small,  but  the  number  to  be  picked  is  legion;  and  so  the 
insurance  vultures  (who  are  few)  can  easily  fatten  and 
grow  corpulent  on  the  flesh  of  many:  similarly  the  con- 
fluent rivulets  from  millions  of  consumers  form  a  mill-race 
of  wealth  that  is  inundating  the  really  small  number  of 
men  who  constitute  the  Trusts. 

"If  a  moderate  tariff  were  substituted  for  the  present 
excessive  one  on  steel,  the  man  who  is  worrying  lest  he 


238      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

cannot  give  away  his  millions  ere  he  dies,  would  n't  have 
that  anxiety — the  millions  would  n't  flow  into  his  coffers: 
and  as  a  consequence  our  houses  could  be  built  cheaper, 
our  rents  would  be  lower,  and  that  degrading  practise 
would  be  stopped  of  forcing  money  from  the  many  to 
enrich  the  few;  who,  in  turn,  by  their  colossal  gifts  are 
destroying  the  self-respect  and  moral  sense  of  hosts  of 
recipients. 

"Yes,  it  is  tainted  money;  and  the  individuals  and 
societies  who  have  spurned  it,  showed  moral  courage  and 
rectitude  of  the  highest  order. 

"This  wide  spread  commercial  iniquity — the  Standard 
Oil,  of  which  a  judge  (in  sentencing  it  for  rebates)  said 
regarding  its  execrable  acts,  'The  men  who  thus  deliber- 
ately violate  the  law,  wound  society  more  deeply  than  does 
he  who  counterfeits  the  coin  or  steals  letters  from  the  mail'; 
the  Steel  Trust,  whose  magnate  founds  libraries  with 
money  wrung  from  the  very  class  he  hands  books  to, 
while  they  are  bent  with  toil;  the  Beef  Trust,  which  grinds 
the  ranchman  and  satiates  the  consumer  with  tasteless, v 
cold  storage  meat;  the  Coal  Barons,  who  accord  to  the 
wretch  that  delves  into  their  caverns  a  pittance  for  the  pro- 
duct they  sell  at  a  high  price;  the  relentless  Trades-union, 
which  by  its  'boycott,'  'unfair,'  'we-don't-patronize,'  and 
other  subtle  devices,  persecutes  all  who  are  not  affiliated 
with  its  narrow  minded  views;  the  Railroads,  with  their 
parasitic  organizations  (made  up  of  their  own  directors) 
to  sap  the  income  that  should  go  for  the  improvement  of 
transit  facilities — all  this  makes  it  hard  for  the  honest 
man  to  keep  above  the  waves  of  Graft  and  Greed  that  are 
swirling  about  him;  and  yet  I  have  but  stirred  the  scum — 
the  foul  depths  never  come  to  light. 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         239 

"  But  let  me  switch  on  to  another  aspect  of  the  human 
being — the  egoist  who  considers  well  every  situation — 
who  ferrets  out  the  factors  of  power,  wealth,  influence  and 
social  status;  and  who,  on  the  other  hand  (in  order  to 
avoid  them),  informs  himself  as  to  the  weaklings — 
unfortunates  whom  a  little  friendliness  would  encourage. 
Does  he  give  it  ?  Not  he :  no  unpopular  minority  for  him — 
but  always  the  majority — numbers  count  in  the  battle  of 
life — it  means  success,  and  that  is  his  quest.  Success? 
Yes,  necessarily;  for  being  alert  to  his  own  advantage,  and 
tenacious  of  all  he  acquires,  he  centers  in  himself  every- 
thing that  will  conduce  to  success.  But  he  is  a  gross 
caricature  of  a  man — a  nature  run  to  rank  growth  under 
foul  manuring. 

"Periodically,  such  a  cormorant  finds  that  wealth  does 
not  bring  all  he  craves — that  insisting  on  his  rights  — 
driving  a  hard  bargain — profiting  by  another's  misfortune 
or  pressing  need,  has  hardened  men's  feelings  toward  him. 
He  has  money,  however — he  can  buy  subserviency;  but 
there  is  a  heart  of  flint  in  every  breast  that  serves  him. 
Then  he  would  purchase  good  feeling — seek  a  reputation 
for  generosity — even  secure  a  first  mortgage  on  Heaven 
by  contributing  to  charity:  we  have  latterly  had  some 
instances  of  this — did  they  attain  their  object?  Not 
often.  The  money  was  taken — yes;  but  the  giver  only 
became  more  conspicuous  for  his  distinctive  traits. 

"  But  it  will  be  noted  that  this  kind  of  largess  distributor 
seldom,  if  ever,  gives  to  the  necessitous  poor.  O  no:  his 
aim  is  twofold — to  acquire  fame  as  a  philanthropist,  and 
to  close  the  mouths  of  adverse  critics ;  and  so  he  sends  forth 
his  stream  of  gold  to  institutions  of  learning  where  youth  is 
trained  (to  look  up  to  him  and  his  methods) — to  halls  of 


240      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

fame  which  spread  his  renown — to  pensioners  who  will 
be  grateful  for  the  ease  it  brings  in  declining  years:  all 
these  beneficiaries  will  not  only  be  estopped  from  frank 
honest  criticism  of  the  ways  he  made  his  money,  but  will 
be  converted  into  admirers  of  the  benefactor! 

"And  there  are  legions  of  such  perverted  sycophants: 
you  have  only  to  cast  your  eyes  over  the  country  to  see  the 
number  who  have  taken  the  gold  and  are  down  on  their 
knees  before  the  ignoble  idol — insulting  our  intelligence 
with  laudation  of  his  gifts  and  specious  explanations  of 
his  devious  ways. 

"Yes,  money  which  transmutes  deserved  censure  into 
fulsome  praise,  is  tainted;  and  it  is  well — nay,  obligatory, 
to  look  this  gift-horse  in  the  mouth,  lest  he  take  the  bit 
and  ride  the  receiver  to  perdition. 

"The  largess  distributor  acquires  name  while  fostering 
the  purchasable  element  in  man — the  obsequiousness  of 
the  lowly  as  well  as  the  affability  of  those  in  higher  place. 

"  Money  easily  got  is  readily  spent;  but  if  gained  by  hard 
toil,  the  laborer  is  loth  to  part  with  it  freely:  now  the  high 
tariff  pours  into  the  pockets  of  those  benefited,  profits 
far  beyond  any  efforts  they  make  —  a  surplusage  of 
wealth;  and  the  distribution  of  this  to  lower  levels  gives 
each  recipient  an  amount  he  did  not  fully  earn;  and  this 
as  surely  begets  crime  in  the  community  as  summer 
heat  breeds  maggots  in  a  dead  carcass.  A  tariff  for  the 
expenses  of  government  would  put  everybody  on  his 
mettle  to  make  a  living;  and  thus  there  would  be  no  over- 
flow of  wealth  to  submerge  morality  and  drown  principle. 

"  A  wholesome  check  on  the  acquisition  of  tainted  gold, 
would  be  a  progressive  tax  on  everything  acquired  under 
the  shield  of  mere  law  honesty.  At  the  present  uniform 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         241 

rate,  the  man  who  is  taxed  five  hundred  dollars  on  a  single 
lot  which  is  his  only  possession,  pays  relatively  more  than 
the  man  who  pays  five  thousand  on  a  city  block;  and  this 
latter,  more  still  than  the  man  who  pays  a  hundred  thou- 
sand on  property  worth  millions.  It  is  like  the  clerk's 
meagre  salary  compared  with  the  ample  income  from 
houses,  lands,  and  mines:  if  the  salary  is  reduced,  it 
pinches  the  clerk;  but  if  the  income  be  lessened,  it  scarcely 
affects  the  man  of  means — he  has  so  much.  Why,  then, 
should  not  a  similar  inequality  in  taxation  be  rectified  by 
levying  upon  all  a  tax  proportionate  to  his  possessions — 
a  higher  rate,  the  larger  the  property  ? 

"  Moreover,  the  man  of  wealth  should  bear  his  share  of 
the  expense  to  which  he  puts  the  Government :  it  is  for  his 
railroads,  steamships,  mines,  factories,  houses,  lands, 
costly  homes,  pleasure  yachts,  and  luxurious  clubs,  that 
the  functions  of  government  are  chiefly  exercised;  legis- 
lation and  litigation  are  in  the  main  concerned  with  his 
properties;  and  it  is  for  the  protection  of  his  commerce 
and  his  person  that  squadrons  are  maintained  at  sea  and 
a  military  force  on  land. 

"  The  professional  man,  the  artist,  the  farmer,  the  clerk, 
the  shopkeeper,  the  mechanic,  the  servant,  the  laborer — 
all  these,  who  constitute  the  great  bulk  of  our  citizens, 
call  but  little  on  the  administration  of  government:  then 
why  should  not  he  who  uses  it  constantly,  pay  his  pro  rata 
amount  ?  He  certainly  does  not  do  so  now  at  the  uniform 
rate  imposed  on  all — on  the  man  of  means,  and  on  the 
widow  whose  sole  support  is  the  rental  of  a  single  house. 
The  one  house  and  the  vast  holdings  are  not  commensur- 
able quantities — neither  are  the  taxes  at  present  levied 

on  both. 
it 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


"  Contrast  the  complicated  governmental  machinery 
daily  in  motion  for  the  man  of  wealth,  with  the  simple 
civic  requirements  of  a  villager  in  the  Adirondacks  — 
where  the  town  council  frames  the  few  regulations  that  are 
needed,  the  Justice  of  the  Peace  settles  all  petty  disputes, 
and  the  village  constable  is  the  sole  guardian  of  person 
and  property! 

"  To  the  villager,  the  Battleship  is  a  phantom  of  the  sea  — 
the  Army  as  mythical  as  the  Crusaders  —  the  Acts  of  Con- 
gress less  known  than  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  —  and  the 
decisions  of  our  highest  tribunal  of  little  more  interest 
than  the  decrees  of  the  Sanhedrin  :  and  yet  for  the  elaborate 
care  of  the  interests  of  his  wealthy  fellow  citizens,  the 
villager  has  to  pay  the  same  uniform  tax  rate  ! 

"Of  old  it  was  written,  'All  .  .  .  whether  man  or 
woman,  [that]  cometh  into  the  king's  inner  court  (who  is 
not  called  for),  is  immediately  to  be  put  to  death,  without 
delay;  except  the  king  shall  hold  out  the  golden  sceptre 
to  him  in  token  of  clemency,  that  so  he  may  live.'  Such 
was  life  in  ye  olden  time  —  ignoble  awe,  and  cringing 
submission  to  those  in  authority;  and  something  of  it  has 
come  down  to  our  own  day  in  certain  governments  and 
organizations:  but  thank  God  in  our  country  these  yokes 
need  find  no  necks  to  weigh  upon  —  we  have  the  ballot  for 
all,  and  if  they  will  only  use  it  properly,  it  can  be  employed 
to  sever  the  official  head  of  him  unworthy  of  office. 

"Besides,  the  franchise  is  an  excellent  outlet  to  the 
fermenting  humors  of  the  body  politic,  and  saves  us  from 
nihilism,  revolution,  and  other  sores  of  a  gangrenous 
government  :  our  elections  afford  a  healthy  ebullition  to  the 
bile  that  if  bottled  up,  would  fester  and  breed  a  cancer. 

"  Of  course  we  have  throughout  the  land  those  who  are 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         243 

agitating  for  rights  and  reforms;  but  they  constitute  a 
wholesome  ferment — they  intimidate  the  grasping  and  give 
push  to  the  laggard — they  prevent  the  forging  of  human 
chains,  and  give  impetus  to  whatever  improves  and 
vivifies — they  make  the  fight,  and  we  all  reap  the  benefit. 

"I  have  but  one  more  matter  to  touch  upon — false 
testimony,  a  most  prolific  source  of  evil.  We  have  a 
detestable  sample  of  it  in  the  corps  of  trained  perjurers 
said  to  be  kept  by  a  transit  company  in  New  York  to  swear 
against  every  case  of  damages  for  injury  done.  There  is, 
of  course,  the  lie  of  him  who  is  unaware  of  the  falsity  of  his 
statement — who  sees  only  the  skeleton  of  the  facts,  and  puts 
flesh  and  raiment  on  them  from  his  imagination:  his  eye 
and  ear  have  not  been  trained  to  precision,  and  so  the 
mind  receives  no  true  impression  of  what  occurs  about  him. 
This  is  the  unwitting  prevaricator;  but  there  is  far  worse — 
the  malicious  liar,  who  can  color  a  series  of  incidents,  so 
that  while  retaining  a  ground-work  of  fact,  spreads  over  it 
all  the  dark  hues  that  will  blacken  any  reputation. 

"  Closely  allied  to  the  malicious  lie,  is  that  mendacious 
phrase,  I  don't  remember.  Every  lawyer  knows  that  the 
witness  who  glibly  gives  this  answer  regarding  matters 
which  undoubtedly  were  well  impressed  upon  his  mind, 
is  hovering  on  the  brink  of  perjury,  if  not  already  flounder- 
ing in  its  abyss,  and  trying  to  wriggle  out  of  it  by  piling  lie 
upon  lie. 

"All  testimony  has  certain  phases  which  must  be  con- 
sidered jointly  if  one  would  judge  aright  of  its  value: 
the  demeanor  of  the  witness;  the  bias  that  pervades  his 
speech;  the  words  he  utters.  The  written  record  is  but  a 
squalid  line-drawing — without  color,  without  shading, 
without  perspective;  the  look  and  manner  of  the  witness 


244      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

are  essential  to  a  true  picture;  for  a  facial  expression  or  a 
gesture  will  disclose  the  malevolence  of  a  vicious  nature, 
or  the  shielding  charity  of  a  kindly  one;  and  nothing 
reveals  more  quickly  the  prejudice  of  a  witness,  than  the 
positive  terms  in  which  he  asserts  everything  hurtful  to  the 
side  he  wants  to  injure,  while  tossing  off  an  evasive  '  Don't 
remember'  to  every  question  that  might  elicit  something 
favorable  to  him.  It  is  the  ever  recurrent  accusation  of 
Jeanne  d*  Arc  to  her  malignant  judges — You  put  down 
everything  that  is  against  me,  but  you  don't  put  down  aught 
for  me. 

"And  now,  good  night;  may  you  all  sleep  well,  and 
never  have  your  reputation  depend  upon  the  word  of  a 
man  who  can  say  under  oath,  /  don't  remember." 
Gray  Harbor. 

Again,  the  Wenonah  was  underway  in  the  early  morn, 
gliding  down  the  smooth  channels  free  from  dangers  of 
navigation,  and  with  fine  weather — a  veritable  case  of 
plain  sailing. 

The  scenery  was  of  the  majestic  order — high  hills 
clothed  with  verdure,  in  the  foreground;  towering  moun- 
tains capped  with  snow,  in  the  distance;  afar  off,  the  bright 
green  of  glacier  fields;  and  near  by,  at  intervals,  cascades 
tumbling  down  in  whitened  foam  where  precipitous  cliffs 
formed  the  banks  of  the  channels.  Immensity,  stillness, 
loneliness — these  are  the  words  that  best  describe  the 
situation,  apart  from  the  scenery:  true,  they  might  be 
applied  equally  well  to  the  great  ocean  the  ship  had 
recently  sailed  through;  but  there,  life  was  not  looked  for, 
while  here  it  is  expected,  and  not  being  found,  its  absence 
is  the  more  impressive:  probably  not  a  human  being  was 
within  a  hundred  miles  of  the  ship. 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         245 

Many  of  the  anchorages  in  the  channels  are  very  deep 
but  of  small  area,  and  the  vessel  seems  to  touch  the  shore 
as  she  swings  about:  often,  steep  hills  covered  with  trees 
and  shrubbery  enclose  them,  and  one  feels  as  if  he  were 
afloat  in  some  gigantic  bowl  with  nothing  but  water 
beneath. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  the  ship  reached 
the  vicinity  of  Gray  Harbor:  between  this  and  the  next 
anchorage  is  the  dreaded  English  Narrows — a  contracted 
dangerous  crook  in  the  channel,  where  the  stream  runs 
very  swift  at  certain  stages  of  the  tide:  the  passage  is  gen- 
erally made  at  slack  water,  and  as  this  would  not  occur 
before  dark,  the  ship  turned  into  Gray  Harbor  and  came 
to  anchor  until  the  tide  should  serve  the  following  day. 

The  evening  was  clear,  crisp,  and  invigorating;  so  the 
Captain  proposed  that  all  who  could,  should  go  ashore  and 
stretch  their  legs.  He  gave  a  boat  to  the  men,  who  soon 
filled  it  and  were  pulling  for  the  beach.  Another  boat  was 
manned  by  himself,  Brooks,  Austin,  and  Northrup;  and 
with  Mrs.  Austin  to  steer,  and  Adeline  and  Marguerite 
for  passengers,  they  likewise  hastened  to  the  shore. 

O  the  delight  of  stepping  on  mother  earth  where  you  can 
stand  erect  and  put  your  feet  confidently  forth,  without 
fear  of  finding  the  ground  too  near  or  too  far,  or  swaying 
your  body  to  the  pendulous  motion  of  your  foot-hold! 
And  then  the  fresh  odor  of  growing  vegetation — it  filled  the 
nostrils  gratefully  after  the  salty  air  they  had  been  breath- 
ing so  long.  The  sense  of  freedom,  too — the  expansion! 
They  all  jumped,  and  ran  about,  and  frolicked,  and  shook 
off  the  close  confinement  of  a  month :  not  a  man  of  years  but 
was  as  exuberant — as  exciter!  with  delight  as  little  Adeline. 

The  harbor  is  small  and  very  picturesque — everywhere, 


246      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

except  a  little  rising  ground  where  the  low  trees  have  been 
denuded  of  their  foliage  by  some  withering  blast;  their 
trunks  are  bleached  by  the  weather,  giving  the  knoll  a 
spectral  appearance;  and  this  is  heightened  by  numerous 
sign-boards  nailed  to  them — the  records  of  passing  ships- 
of-war. 

Toward  dusk  all  went  aboard — happy  to  get  back  to 
familiar  objects  and  a  good  dinner,  which  they  enjoyed 
with  zest :  it  was  but  a  trifling  incident,  yet  it  changed  the 
rut  of  their  thoughts  and  supplied  an  episode  for  conversa- 
tion. Such  is  the  value  of  variety — to  think  that  this  wild 
shore,  without  hut  or  habitant,  nothing  but  the  tangled 
rankness  of  vine  and  shrub  and  tree,  should  afford  so  much 
pleasure  to  grown  people  that  they  gamboled  like  boys  out 
of  school. 

After  dinner,  chairs  were  brought  up  on  the  poop,  cigars 
lighted,  and  every  preparation  made  for  an  enjoyable 
evening.  They  could  sleep  in,  the  next  morning;  for,  by 
the  Captain's  calculations,  slack  water  would  not  occur  in 
the  Narrows  until  ten  o'clock,  and  so  they  need  not  get 
under  way  until  after  breakfast. 

Brooks  gave  vent  to  the  general  light-heartedness  by 
humming  a  lively  air — Marching  through  Georgia,  which 
soon  found  expression  in  words,  with  nearly  the  whole 
crew  joining  in  the  chorus:  it  sent  a  thrill  through  every 
one,  especially  those  who  had  taken  part  in  the  Civil  War — 
this  ebullition  of  patriotism  rolling  loud  and  deep  through 
the  solitudes  of  Patagonia.  Then  there  was  a  Spanish 
song  by  one  of  the  sailors  to  guitar  accompaniment;  and 
eventually,  as  the  froth  of  feeling  seemed  about  to  subside, 
Mr.  Northrup  thought  best  to  tap  the  substantial  flow 
beneath,  and  said : 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS        247 

"  Doctor,  you  and  I  have  had  such  divergent  experience, 
and  each  is  evidently  so  influenced  by  his  own,  in  the 
opinions  formed,  that  I  should  like  to  hear  the  views  of  one 
who  has  probably  taken  a  middle  course — what  does  our 
young  friend  Brooks,  here,  think  of  the  matters  we've 
been  speaking  of,  the  past  two  evenings?" 

"I  think,"  said  Brooks,  "that  one  of  you  has  portrayed 
an  ideal  possibility — the  other,  a  lamentable  reality;  but 
this  last  has  also  its  roseate  hues,  just  as  the  black  clouds 
that  precede  the  storm  may  become  the  gorgeous  masses 
of  a  brilliant  sunset. 

"There  is  evil  in  the  world,  but  it  has  its  use;  its  out- 
break in  one  person  is  a  spur  to  good  in  another. 

"The  ills  which  you,  Doctor,  alleviate,  are  incentives 
to  generous  impulses — even  the  loathsome  victims  of 
cancer  and  leprosy  find  kindly  care  from  a  fellow  being. 
The  poverty  of  the  needy  draws  out  the  sympathy  and 
support  of  those  able  to  give:  misery,  wretchedness,  and 
suffering  awaken  our  better  feelings  and  prompt  us  to  acts 
of  kindness  and  assistance — we  cultivate  the  good  that 
is  in  us — forget  self — and  fulfill  the  object  of  our  being  as 
component  members  of  the  human  family,  not  isolated 
entities. 

"Look  around  you,  and  consider  the  number  of  indi- 
viduals and  organizations  that  are  striving  to  better  the 
lot  of  the  unfortunate  and  incompetent:  the  Sisters  of  the 
Bon  Secour  who  will  nurse  you  through  contagious  disease 
without  a  thought  of  themselves ;  the  Order  of  the  Assump- 
tion that  gives  its  labor  without  recompense  to  the  indigent 
in  their  filthy  hovels;  the  Salvation  Army  which  attacks 
all  foes  of  humanity  wherever  entrenched;  the  Children's 
Aid  Society  which  rescues  the  growing  twig  from  bending 


248      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

awry;  the  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  Society  whose  ramifications 
extend  into  all  the  lower  strata  of  life;  the  Legal  Aid 
Society  which,  with  the  chivalry  of  knights  of  old,  sallies 
forth  to  battle  before  judge  and  jury  for  the  rights  of  the 
down  trodden;  the  Mission  of  the  Immaculate  Virgin 
which  cleans,  trains,  and  brings  up  to  respectability  and 
usefulness  the  waifs  of  a  metropolis;  the  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Crime  which  has  a  hawk's  eye  for  what  is 
corrupting  in  newspaper,  book,  or  picture;  the  Civic 
Society  which  prevents  our  municipal  governments  from 
sinking  into  greater  depths  than  they  would  without  its 
keen  criticism;  the  body  of  men  and  women  who  work 
against  the  pernicious  influence  of  the  saloon;  the  society 
that  watches  our  food  and  medicines  to  reduce  adulterations 
of  both;  the  people  who  work  in  settlement  districts;  and 
many,  many  other  organizations  which  I  need  not  name — 
all  working  toward  the  improvement  of  the  human  race — 
all  actuated  by  noble  impulses;  and  you'll  realize  that  the 
good  in  the  world  is  active,  persistent,  and  varied,  just  as 
the  evil  is. 

"  And  would  it  be  so,  if  the  evil  were  not  there  to  spur  it 
on? 

"  Our  experience  answers,  '  No.  We  have  two  large 
political  parties  in  the  United  States,  and  we  get  the  best 
results  from  the  one  in  power  when  both  are  nearly  bal- 
anced: when  the  dominant  one  is  overwhelmingly  in  the 
majority,  corruption,  bribery,  and  arrogance  are  rampant — 
it  requires  the  bit  and  check-rein  to  keep  it  in  the  straight 
path,  and  these  restraints  are  put  on  by  the  opposition — 
those  who  have  the  moral  courage  to  fight  against  evil, 
and  who  are  thereby  spurred  on  by  that  evil  to  do  good. ' 

"  Tweed  insolently  asked  New  York  what  it  was  going 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         249 

to  do  about  his  robbery:  he  speedily  found  out — it  roused 
the  right  minded  to  action  and  the  thieves  went  down  to 
disgrace  and  death  in  convicts'  stripes.  Later,  Tweed's 
political  heir  arrogantly  boasted  that  he  was  working  for 
his  pocket  all  the  time — thus  epitomizing  the  creed  of  his 
organization — to  force  tribute  from  the  people,  either  for 
carrying  out  the  laws  which,  as  public  officers,  they  were 
already  well  paid  to  do;  or  for  winking  at  infractions  of  the 
law,  when  such  suited  the  bribers:  an  organization  (to 
paraphrase  the  words  of  an  able  writer)  which  closes 
against  young  men  of  talents  that  broad  noble  entrance 
to  a  career  which  belongs  to  them  and  which  ought  to  stand 
wide  open  to  them;  and  in  exchange,  forces  them  into  a 
by-entrance — through  its  own  sewer,  low  and  narrow, 
always  obscure,  often  filthy,  and  through  which  they  can 
pass  only  by  crawling  on  their  hands  and  knees  before 
some  coarse,  arrogant  boss;  and  from  which  they  can 
emerge  only  sullied  with  stains  never  to  be  washed  away. 

"Graft,  graft,  graft!  among  high  and  low — from  tene- 
ment and  brothel — from  saloon  and  gambling  den — for 
building  a  residence,  or  tearing  down  a  rookery!  Even 
in  legitimate  pursuits,  often  the  official  has  to  be  'seen* 
ere  he  will  act  in  the  performance  of  duty,  or  abstain  from 
a  course  that  is  devised  to  worry  and  harass — a  subtle, 
pernicious,  intangible  system;  so  crooked  and  artfully 
concealed,  that  the  trail  is  difficult  to  trace.  The  grafters 
got  fat  with  money  and  insolent  in  speech — so  grossly 
corrupt  that  it  shocked  the  community  into  spasmodic 
activity:  they  turned  the  grafters  out;  and  temporarily, 
at  least,  the  bad  was  held  in  leash,  and  the  good  spurred  to 
action. 

"  Recent  elections  have  dealt  a  stunning  blow  to  bossism 


250      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

in  many  States  and  shattered  political  machines  every- 
where: their  vicious  methods  roused  the  sense  of  right, 
and  it  showed  its  power  by  sweeping  the  malefactors  from 
office  and  putting  in  those  with  reputations  for  integrity. 

"  Look  at  the  case  of  Governor  Hughes  in  New  York — 
a  republican  chosen  in  spite  of  his  party  machine:  see 
further,  the  fine  discrimination  of  the  voters  in  electing 
him !  His  opponent — the  owner  of  many  newspapers  was 
singled  out  for  defeat:  it  was  a  stinging  blow,  the  whole 
State  Democratic  ticket  elected,  him  alone  excepted — 
its  head!  and  in  his  place  a  republican,  who  has  proved 
to  be  the  most  upright,  able,  and  efficient  governor  New 
York  ever  had;  and  he  has  been  re-elected. 

"Look  again  at  the  case  of  San  Francisco — for  years 
a  cesspool  of  municipal  iniquity:  bribery  in  its  coarsest 
forms  luring  city  officials  until  their  administration  (sup- 
ported by  a  corrupt  labor  element)  became  a  by- word  for 
all  that  was  debased  in  politics!  Well,  men  of  principle 
attacked  the  situation — arrested,  tried,  and  imprisoned 
both  bribers  and  bribed — elected  men  of  integrity  and 
ability  in  their  stead,  and  to-day  the  Golden  Gate  City 
has  the  prospect  of  becoming  a  clean,  honest  municipality. 

"The  extensive  evils  of  the  insurance  companies — the 
deceit,  fraud,  theft,  and  bribery  practised  by  presidents, 
trustees,  directors,  clerks,  agents,  and  go-betweens  of  all 
degrees — even  this  whole  net-work  of  wrong  has  had  its 
rebound  in  the  laws  enacted  as  a  result  of  its  exposure; 
and  as  for  the  criminals  exposed — many  a  name  has  been 
blackened,  and  no  man  is  gratified  by  such  notoriety; 
it  is  a  goad  that  will  lash  him  to  the  grave,  and  his  memory 
beyond — a  wholesome  warning  to  others. 

"  All  the  rascality  of  commercial  life  which  is  now  com- 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         251 

ing  to  light  is  likewise  rousing  not  only  those  who  think 
deeply,  but  also  the  great  body  of  the  people.  This  coun- 
try does  not  belong  alone  to  the  few  thousands  who  own 
yachts,  automobiles,  opera  boxes,  private  cars,  residences 
in  town  and  country,  and  all  the  other  appendages  of  the 
idle  rich;  nor  yet  to  the  few  hundred  thousands  incor- 
porated in  companies  who  are  sucking  the  honey  from  every 
industry:  but  to  the  millions  who  labor  with  brain  and 
brawn  to  earn  a  living — men  and  women  actuated,  in  the 
main,  by  honest  motives:  these,  also,  have  a  share  in  this 
land  and  a  right  to  get  from  it  an  equitable  return  for  their 
toil. 

"If  one  trust  can  successfully  invoke  constitutional 
authority  for  supplying  uneatable  meat,  and  another  cites 
Divine  fee  simple  for  its  ownership  of  mines,  to  give  us 
coal  or  not  as  it  pleases  and  at  what  price  it  chooses:  if 
this  arrogant  self  assertion  is  based  on  constitutional  right, 
then  that  right  can  be  abridged  by  supplementary  enact- 
ments. The  constitution  was  framed  for  simple  conditions 
of  society,  when  fair  dealing  was  dominant:  but  since  its 
adoption,  great  public  franchises  have  come  into  existence, 
the  necessaries  of  life  have  often  been  cornered  by  specu- 
lators, and  cheating  in  every  day  transactions  has  become 
the  rule.  An  epidemic  of  falsity  in  word  and  deed  has 
grown  up  such  as  the  country  never  before  saw,  and  which 
was  not  even  suspected  until  a  short  time  ago;  but  grand 
juries  and  investigating  committees  are  unearthing  it  all, 
and  the  law  will  eventually  grapple  with  it — successfully, 
let  us  hope. 

"  Only  a  short  time  ago,  a  high  insurance  official  went 
on  the  witness  stand,  and  with  a  jaunty  air — as  if  deserving 
the  plaudits  of  the  multitude,  told  of  using  the  policy 


252      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

holders'  money  to  elect  the  candidates  of  a  political  party: 
do  you  think  he  would  do  so  to-day?  Hardly;  since  his 
act  has  been  stigmatized  by  the  chief  justice  of  the  highest 
court  of  New  York  as  larceny :  ( The  meritorious  character 
of  the  objects  to  which  the  money  was  appropriated,  has 
no  bearing  upon  the  question  of  larceny.  The  gist  of  that 
offense  is  not  the  application  of  money  to  a  bad  purpose, 
but  taking  money  that  does  not  belong  to  the  taker,  to 
appropriate  to  an  object,  good  or  bad.  It  is  the  fraudulent 
deprivation  of  an  owner  of  his  property  that  constitutes 
larceny.  It  is  a  crime  to  steal,  even  though  with  the  intent 
to  give  away  in  charity  and  relieve  distress.'  And  under 
the  force  of  public  condemnation,  the  culprit  has  restored 
to  the  policy  holders,  fifty-four  thousand  dollars. 

"  The  air  has  cleared  a  little — the  hazy  views  of  honesty 
and  truth  entertained  by  him  and  his  kind  have  received 
sharper  definition ;  and  it  will  be  the  same  with  every  other 
befogged  tenet  of  the  *  higher  law'  which  such  men  have 
devised  to  screen  their  astounding  practises. 

"  The  viciousness  of  the  demon  is  deeply  rooted  in  man, 
but  so  also  is  the  beneficence  of  God;  and  the  struggle  of 
both  seems  to  be  the  means  devised  to  keep  our  faculties 
bright  and  progressive:  why  it  is  so,  I  cannot  say — I 
merely  state  the  fact;  but  I  am  nevertheless  firmly  of  opin- 
ion that  man's  moral  side  can  be  greatly  strengthened  by 
cultivation.  He  is  not  a  passive  weather  vane  to  yield 
to  every  impulse  of  heredity  or  whim  of  environment. 

"  To  amplify  upon  a  statement  of  Mr.  Northrup,  take  the 
case  of  our  physical  organs:  when  a  child  reaches  the  age 
of  five,  if  his  eyes  are  examined  by  an  oculist,  he  will  dis- 
cover any  defect,  and  apply  the  remedy:  if  this  be  repeated 
every  few  years  until  he  is  twenty,  the  boy  will  have  sight 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         253 

of  a  very  different  kind  from  what  it  would  be  if  some  slight 
ailment  had  been  allowed  to  develop.  Similarly  with  the 
teeth:  arrest  the  first  symptom  of  decay — fill  the  pin-point 
hole — bestow  daily  care  on  them — and  the  youth  may 
confidently  expect  that  in  old  age  he  will  not  be  dependent 
on  a  few  jagged  stumps.  Likewise  with  the  hearing: 
have  the  ears  and  nose  examined — stop  the  incipient 
catarrh,  and  avoid  the  senile  ear  trumpet,  that  fearful 
cut-off  to  companionability.  The  much  abused  stomach 
is  such  a  fount  of  ailments — indigestion,  eczema,  head- 
ache, constipation,  and  a  host  of  other  ills,  that  were  we 
only  warned  in  early  life  of  their  number  and  gravity,  we 
would  bestow  the  greatest  care  on  what  we  eat. 

"  Now  tell  me,  if  you  find  a  child  practising  petty  deceits, 
telling  little  lies,  stealing  trifles — insincere,  hypocritical, 
or  otherwise  showing  the  germ  of  an  evil  tendency,  can 
you  not  work  against  these  traits  as  successfully  as  against 
the  defective  eye  or  tooth  ?  Whatever  the  moral  ailment, 
there  is  no  doubt  that  it  can  be  treated  (if  taken  in  its  early 
stages)  with  at  least  the  same  prospect  of  correction  as 
exists  in  the  case  of  bodily  diseases;  and  we  are  made  for 
strife  in  the  moral  field  as  well  as  in  the  intellectual  and 
physical. 

"  Placidity — moving  with  the  current — always  trimming 
one's  sails  to  every  whiff  of  self -ease,  this  takes  the  back- 
bone out  of  man:  whereas  activity,  even  when  vicious 
(which  eventually  rouses  strong  forces  to  combat  it), 
brings  out  all  the  sparkle,  energy,  and  strength  of  character 
there  is  in  man.  And  it  is  only  success  through  effort  that 
satisfies  and  exalts :  the  man  who  inherits  wealth  may  have 
the  enjoyments  it  can  buy,  but  he  has  not  experienced  the 
pleasure  of  acquiring  it;  so,  too,  the  boy  whom  the  tutor 


254      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

assists  through  an  intricate  problem  sees  the  solution,  but 
he  doesn't  feel  the  pride  and  gratification  of  having  worked 
it  out  himself,  nor  is  the  process  as  clear  and  impressive. 

"  And  strife  is  everywhere :  look  at  any  part  of  the  United 
States  to-day — what  a  ferment!  political,  financial,  muni- 
cipal, and  social;  the  struggle  between  railroads  and  peo- 
ple regarding  rates  and  rebates;  the  squeezing  of  water 
out  of  swollen  stock;  the  pursuit  of  defaulting  bank  offi- 
cials; the  effort  to  curb  the  adulterater  of  food  as  well  as 
the  adulterous  concubine;  the  trial,  conviction,  and 
imposition  of  heavy  fines  on  corporate  malefactors;  and 
even  the  stage  is  a  reflex  of  the  contention  going  on,  for 
the  two  most  popular  plays  for  years  (The  Lion  and  the 
Mouse,  and  The  Man  of  the  Hour,  drawing  crowded 
houses  until  millions  have  been  stirred  by  what  they 
exhibit)  represent  the  strife  of  the  day. 

"  Can  it  be  doubted  that  all  this  vigorous  canvassing  of 
everything  in  our  daily  life  will  have  an  ultimate  salutary 
effect — a  better  understanding  of  rights  and  obligations — 
a  clearing  of  the  ethical  atmosphere  ?" 

Brooks  finished,  and  all  were  highly  pleased  with  his 
discourse. .  At  their  earnest  request,  he  promised  to  deliver 
another  little  speech  soon  again. 

Port  Grappler. 

The  next  morning  was  clear  and  crisp — too  clear  to 
continue  throughout  the  day;  for  like  the  stillness  that 
precedes  the  storm,  an  exceptionally  bright  dawn  often 
presages  a  fitful,  cloudy  day;  and  so  it  proved  in  this  case. 

At  seven  bells  all  hands  went  to  breakfast :  on  turning  to, 
the  Captain  directed  the  First  Mate  to  take  the  deck  and 
send  down  the  to 'gallant  and  royal  yards  and  masts  and 
all  other  top  hamper,  as  sail  could  not  be  used  until  they 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         255 

entered  the  Straits  of  Magellan.  While  Colburn  was  on 
the  poop  watching  this  work,  the  Doctor  and  Mr.  Northrup 
came  up  and  joined  him. 

"  Have  you  ever  been  through  these  Channels,  Captain  ?" 
said  the  Doctor. 

"  Never,"  was  the  answer. 

"Don't  you  feel  some  anxiety — a  little  nervousness 
about  the  English  Narrows  ?" 

"  Well,  I  have  the  same  anxiety  that  you,  Doctor,  would 
no  doubt  feel  about  an  operation  you  undertook  for  the 
first  time;  or  that  Mr.  Northrup  here  would  experience  in 
a  complicated  case  before  a  court  entirely  new  to  him :  but 
as  each  of  you  would  prepare  for  his  work  by  anticipating 
every  possible  contingency,  so  have  I;  and  I  guess  we'll 
get  through  all  right.  Heaven  helps  him  who  helps  him- 
self, you  know:  that's  my  motto." 

"And  the  only  true  one" — added  Northrup. 

The  English  Narrows  have  the  shape  of  the  letter  S 
with  sharp  curves — a  contracted  gorge  or  gullet  through 
which  the  volume  of  water  on  either  side  surges  with  the 
ebb  and  flow  of  every  tide:  hence  the  velocity  between 
periods  of  slack  water  is  very  great,  and  the  eddies  are 
liable  to  take  the  bow  and  force  the  ship  on  one  of  the  short 
bends  of  the  shore.  Slack  water  lasts  but  a  few  minutes, 
and  even  this  has  not  the  stillness  of  other  places — there  is 
always  some  movement,  and  it  is  full  of  whirls:  besides, 
rocks  and  shoals  exist  at  both  ends  of  the  Narrows;  and 
on  these  various  accounts,  it  is  justly  a  source  of  anxiety 
to  all  who  undertake  its  passage. 

The  Mate  having  made  everything  taut  and  trim,  the 
anchor  was  hove  up,  catted,  and  fished;  and  the  ship 
headed  for  the  broad  water  outside  Gray  Harbor:  there,  she 


256      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

was  put  through  the  manoeuvre  she  should  subsequently 
perform — the  helm  was  first  put  rapidly  to  port  and  the 
ship  described  the  first  curve,  then  it  was  righted,  and  put 
quickly  hard  a  starboard,  and  she  turned  through  the  sec- 
ond bend — all  to  ensure  easy  movement  of  the  wheel  ropes 
and  rudder. 

The  Captain  now  took  charge  on  the  bridge,  and  the 
other  officers  and  men  went  to  their  stations — the  First 
Mate  to  the  forecastle  and  the  Second  Mate  to  the  wheel, 
with  two  quarter-masters;  the  Third  Mate  and  a  boat's 
crew  were  lined  up  near  one  of  the  cutters,  ready  to  lower 
in  case  of  need;  the  relieving  tackles  were  hooked  and  led 
along  with  a  petty  officer  and  four  men  to  work  them,  if 
accident  occurred  to  the  helm;  the  jib  and  spanker  were 
loosed,  with  some  of  the  crew  at  hand  to  man  the  gear, 
should  a  breeze  favor,  and  either  sail  be  needed  to  assist  the 
helm;  a  lookout  with  binocular  glasses  was  in  the  foretop 
to  report  shoal  water  or  other  dangers,  the  engineer  had 
been  ordered  to  have  clean  fires  and  a  full  head  of  steam, 
and  with  his  assistants  was  in  the  engine  and  fire  rooms; 
an  alert  man  was  at  the  engine  room  hatch  to  pass  the 
word  from  the  bridge  to  the  engineer  in  case  of  misunder- 
standing through  the  speaking  tubes ;  leadsmen  were  in  the 
chains  on  each  side  to  take  continuous  soundings;  and  all 
were  alive  and  watchful  to  move  as  directed  by  the  Captain 
on  the  bridge. 

The  ship  stood  on  for  the  Narrows.  Brooks  and  North- 
rup  went  on  the  forecastle  where  they  could  see  everything. 

"The  Captain  has  certainly  taken  every  precaution 
for  safety,"  said  Northrup. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Brooks ;  "  and  if  mishap  comes,  it  won't 
be  through  any  fault  of  his." 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         257 

"Too  many  precautions,"  muttered  the  First  Mate: 
"  who  the  hell  ever  heard  of  wheel  ropes  parting  in  smooth 
water  like  this,  that  relieving  tackles  should  be  got  up  ?" 

"7  have,"  said  a  firm  voice;  and  all  turned  to  see  that 
Ned  Gower  was  the  speaker,  who  stood  defiantly  eying  the 
Mate,  as  he  continued:  "more  than  that,  Mr.  Hawse;  I 
saw  the  wheel  ropes  jam  so  they  had  to  be  cut,  to  use  the 
relieving  tackles;  a  man  fall  overboard;  and  the  ship  run 
aground — all  at  the  same  time,  and  in  the  still  water  run- 
ning up  to  Cartagena  in  Columbia:  you  don't  know  the 
place,  I  guess — merchantmen  don't  often  go  there:  this 
happened  on  a  man-of-war — the  Seminole,  Flagship  of 
the  West  India  Squadron." 

"Of  course,"  sneered  Hawse;  "those  accidents  are 
common  in  the  Navy." 

"  No,  they're  not;  no  more  than  in  the  merchant  service; 
and  if  it  weren't  for  the  care  they  take  in  the  Navy,  they'd 
have  many  more  than  they  do,  on  account  of  the  compli- 
cations they  deal  with." 

Hawse  moved  away  from  the  Boatswain  SL&  if  to  avoid 
further  contradiction ;  and  Northrup,  surprised  at  Gower 's 
bold  manner,  looked  at  Brooks  as  if  to  say,  "  Can  these 
things  be?" 

"Yes  sir;  that's  how  it  is,"  whispered  a  voice  at  Brooks' 
elbow,  and  he  recognized  the  son  of  the  Emerald  Isle  who 
used  to  entertain  them  with  song  and  dance  until  Hawse 
taunted  him  with  acting  like  a  monkey. 

"Didn't  you  hear  how  the  Boatswain  choked  the  luff 
of  the  Mate  out  in  the  Pacific — No  ?  O,  Hawse  isn't  the 
same  bully  any  more":  and  with  many  a  side  glance  at  him 
while  pretending  to  lay  up  a  rope,  he  told  of  Gower's 
prowess,  with  much  high  coloring  and  many  humorous 


258      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

comments.  It  must  be  said  that  his  auditors  were  not 
moved  to  tears  by  the  account.  Now  it  was  clear  why, 
of  late,  the  crew  came  around  in  such  numbers  when  any 
little  entertainment  was  going  on  among  the  passengers — 
they  no  longer  feared  Hawse. 

"I  don't  like  that  cloudiness  to  the  southward,"  said 
Brooks:  "it  is  right  over  the  Narrows,  and  it  would  be 
hard  luck  for  Colburn,  if  after  all  the  fine  weather  in  the 
easy  part  of  the  Channels,  he  had  it  thick  at  the  most 
dangerous  point." 

The  ship  kept  on — straight  for  the  western  shore,  so 
as  to  open  up  well  the  entrance  to  the  Narrows  before 
heading  in:  the  weather  was  fine,  crisp,  and  clear  all 
around,  except  where  Brooks  indicated. 

Finally,  the  bow  swung  slowly  to  port  and  pointed 
fair  for  the  middle  of  the  contracted  passage:  it  seemed  a 
cul  de  sac,  for  they  could  see  only  the  first  bend,  lying 
almost  across  the  course,  the  rest  of  the  crook  being  hidden 
by  the  southern  bank  of  the  middle  curve.  The  helm 
was  righted — she  went  straight  on;  then  hard  a  port  and 
she  swung  gracefully  through  the  first  bend:  then  right 
the  helm  just  as  she  almost  touched  the  bank  of  the  port 
shore;  and  finally,  hard  a  starboard,  and  she  began  swing- 
ing into  the  second  and  last  bend  of  the  passage.  At  this 
critical  moment,  as  if  belched  out  by  some  Mont  Pelee,  a 
mass  of  mist  overspread  the  lower  part  of  the  Narrows, 
and  Colburn  had  to  strain  his  eyes  to  see  his  way  through 
the  obscurity  and  the  dangerous  shoals  that  lie  around  the 
lower  exit.  But  the  ship  got  through  beautifully — obey- 
ing every  movement  of  the  helm  as  easily  as  a  duck  moves 
upon  the  water;  and  although  none  of  the  Captain's  prep- 
arations was  needed,  still  it  was  a  satisfaction  to  know  that 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS        259 

any  emergency  could  readily  be  met:  attention  to  small 
things  in  advance  prevents  many  an  accident;  and  it  is 
the  secret  of  success. 

Worry  did  not  cease  with  leaving  the  Narrows,  however: 
all  day  the  route  lay  through  a  wide,  almost  straight 
channel ;  but  so  strewn  with  rocks,  shoals,  and  floating  kelp, 
that  the  course  through  it  was  full  of  anxiety.  The 
weather  was  soft  and  enervating,  and  the  air  was  saturated 
with  vapor — it  made  both  mind  and  body  limp:  a  fine  fog 
hid  the  headlands,  making  it  difficult  to  distinguish  them, 
and  when  evening  came,  the  ship  turned  into  Port  Grappler 
for  the  night.  It  now  turned  raw  with  a  cold  drizzle. 

A  canoe  came  alongside  with  a  family  of  Patagonian 
Indians — male  and  female,  children,  and  babe  in  arms, 
and  all  mostly  in  a  state  of  nature.  They  were  the  first 
human  beings  seen  in  the  Channels,  and  when  brought 
on  board  and  given  food  and  clothing,  they  afforded  much 
merriment  by  the  inadequacy  and  incongruity  of  the 
articles  they  put  on :  the  father  donned  a  helmet  and  an  old 
collar — nothing  else;  the  mother  spread  a  blue  shirt  about 
her  loins;  and  a  young  girl  tied  one  of  the  Wenonah's  gilt 
cap  ribbons  around  her  neck,  but  otherwise  her  raiment 
verged  closely  on  the  "altogether."  Whether  duplicity  or 
simplicity  prompted  their  action,  cannot  be  stated — they 
saw  it  created  laughter  and  were  content  to  afford  it; 
tucking  away,  however,  the  other  garments  and  food  given 
them. 

They  appeared  dull  and  stupid — a  loworder  of  humanity : 
short  of  stature,  stunted  in  growth,  pot-bellied,  with  scowl- 
ing features,  and  a  heavy  thatch  of  black  hair  hanging  over 
their  foreheads.  One  involuntarily  asked  himself — "  Is 
this  the  lowest  round  of  the  human  ladder?"  The  top, 


260      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

which  we  claim  to  occupy,  is  certainly  far  above — so  high, 
that  it  seems  forever  beyond  their  reach ;  and  it  is  incredible 
that  any  gradation  can  supply  the  intermediate  steps:  we 
seem  to  form  one  race — they,  another;  with  little  more 
in  common  than  the  mere  physical  form,  speech,  and  a 
soul. 

Molyneux  Sound,  Concepcion  Channel. 

At  dawn  the  Wenonah  was  again  wending  her  way 
through  the  devious  channels — in  and  out  between  islands 
— round  capes  and  jutting  headlands — midst  grancj 
scenery,  varied  by  cascades,  glaciers,  and  waterfalls. 
The  day  was  glorious — dry,  clear,  and  invigorating — full 
of  the  snap  of  autumn.  Several  whales  were  in  sight  not 
far  from  the  ship,  spouting  foam  into  the  air.  And  the 
distant  mountains,  even  the  hills  close  to,  were  capped 
with  snow,  which  shone  bright  in  the  sun. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  the  ship  came  to  anchor  in  Moly- 
neux Sound,  it  being  too  far  to  the  next  harbor  to  make  it 
by  daylight.  There  was  visible  from  this  anchorage 
a  peak  nearly  four  thousand  feet  high  which  has  been 
appropriately  named  Singular  Peak:  none  on  board  had 
ever  seen  such  a  peculiar  freak — such  a  monstrosity  of 
nature. 

The  shore  around  the  ship  had  an  attractive  appearance, 
so  the  boats  were  lowered  and  all  took  to  the  woods :  it  put 
new  spirits  into  everybody  to  breathe  the  odor  of  vegeta- 
tion and  feel  the  freedom  of  stretching  his  limbs — to  jump 
if  he  wished,  to  run  if  so  willed,  or  to  play  at  leap-frog  if 
inclined  to  the  pranks  of  youth.  Oft-times  it  is  well  to  be 
a  boy  again — full  of  the  mirth  of  joyful  impulses. 

In  the  evening  Brooks  was  reminded  of  his  promise 
to  deliver  a  little  lecture;  so  when  his  audience  had  gathered 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         261 

he  was  surprised  to  see  its  size — the  other  passengers  of 
course  were  there,  but  also  all  the  officers  including  Hawse 
and  Sam  Ruggles,  with  most  of  the  petty  officers  and 
many  of  the  crew. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  shall  disappoint  you  in  the  subject  I've 
chosen,"  he  began:  "I  have  not  the  stock  of  humorous 
anecdotes  that  Mr.  Northrup  could  amuse  you  with,  nor 
have  I  at  all  the  faculty  of  telling  a  story  well ;  I  shall  there- 
fore follow  the  old  adage — 'Each  jack  to  his  trade* — and 
talk  to  you  of  some  matters  with  which  I  am  in  a  measure 
acquainted.  I  shall  endeavor  to  point  out  a  characteristic 
that  runs  through  all  nature — the  periodic  recurrence  of 
the  same  phenomena — extreme  of  one  kind  following 
extreme  of  its  opposite — the  cycle  of  specific  results  from 
the  same  causes. 

"  Toward  noon  yesterday  we  passed  through  the  English 
Narrows  when  the  tide  was  at  its  highest — later,  it  reached 
its  lowest:  to-day,  the  same  rise  and  fall  occurred;  to- 
morrow it  will  be  repeated,  and  the  next  day,  and  the  next, 
and  so  on  until  the  moon  shall  stop  in  its  orbit  and  the 
earth  cease  to  circle  round  the  sun.  This  may  be  called 
the  cycle  of  the  tides — due  to  both  sun  and  moon. 

"But  more  important  than  this  mechanical  movement, 
is  the  great  cycle  of  water  change:  as  invisible  vapor  it 
rises  from  the  ocean  and  forms  the  feathery  clouds  that 
shield  us  from  the  sun;  or  it  saturates  the  air,  depresses 
our  spirits  and  irritates  our  nerves;  or  it  congeals  as  snow, 
solidifies  as  the  glacier,  and  slowly  pushes  down  the  valley 
to  form  the  source  of  mountain  torrents  that  later  will 
become  a  broad  stream  to  irrigate  the  plain;  or  it  con- 
denses into  water,  percolates  the  earth,  and  appears  as  a 
mineral  spring  to  rejuvenate  man;  or  it  gathers  in  the  dark 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


nimbus  mass,  falls  as  rain,  cleanses  the  atmosphere,  and 
collects  in  lakes  to  diversify  the  landscape  and  prevent  that 
aridity  which  would  otherwise  be  the  fate  of  the  soil. 
Finally,  after  thus  supplying  animal  and  vegetable  life 
with  needed  moisture,  it  flows  as  river,  creek,  or  brook, 
down  to  the  sea,  there  to  constitute  the  great  highways 
between  nations  —  and  again  rise  as  vapor,  and  once  more 
go  through  the  same  cycle  of  water,  snow,  and  glacier. 

"  Less  evident  than  this  circulation  of  the  water,  are  the 
transformations  of  the  land:  by  volcanic  eruption  the 
primeval  rock  is  rent  and  lifted  into  prominence;  it  crum- 
bles under  the  influence  of  air  and  moisture  —  is  carried 
down  by  rivers  —  forms  the  fertile  soil  of  their  bottom  lands 
—  proceeds  onward  in  the  freshet  —  is  deposited  as  sediment 
in  deltas  —  becomes  solidified  in  layers  —  and  hardened 
into  rock  until  the  earth's  upheaval  again  raises  it  to  go 
through  the  same  succession  of  gravel,  soil,  stratified  sand, 
and  flinty  rock  —  the  geological  cycle,  in  which  the  same 
material  is  worked  over  and  over  again. 

"  All  animal  and  vegetable  matter  is  composed  of  a  few 
elementary  substances  —  carbon,  sulphur,  phosphorus, 
oxygen,  nitrogen,  etc.:  these  exist  in  earth,  air,  and  water: 
the  growing  plant  draws  them  from  the  air  and  soil  —  cows 
and  sheep  feed  upon  the  plant  —  and  man  lives  on  beef  and 
mutton.  In  time  all  animate  nature  decays,  and  their 
elementary  particles  are  rendered  up  to  earth,  air,  and 
water  —  again  to  reproduce  the  varied  animal  and  vegetable 
life;  and  thus  we  have  the  recurrent  circulation  of  the  ele- 
mentary substances  —  the  chemical  cycle. 

"We  are  all  familiar  with  atmospheric  convulsions  — 
the  clouds  that  gather  in  ominous,  jagged  masses,  and  the 
close,  oppressive  stillness  that  portends  the  storm:  then  a 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         263 

thunder  bolt  rends  the  air — the  tension  is  relieved — the 
rain  falls — and  within  an  hour  the  sky  is  serene.  All  the 
aerial  envelope  had  been  wrought  up  to  a  strained  condi- 
tion— the  outburst  came — and  equilibrium  was  restored. 
There  are  natures  like  that — sensitive  feelings  worked  up 
by  vexatious  surroundings  until  they  can  bear  it  no  longer 
— then  comes  the  angry  explosion,  and  to  it  succeeds  a 
period  of  placidity :  this  may  be  called  the  cycle  of  temper, 
and  most  of  us  have  experienced  it. 

"On  the  daily  weather  map  we  see  the  lines  of  baro- 
metric pressure  grouped  around  various  centres — here,  a 
High;  there,  a  Low:  they  are  the  hills  and  valleys  of  the  air, 
and  must  be  levelled  ere  we  have  a  calm;  and  the  higher 
the  peak  and  deeper  the  chasm,  the  more  violent  will  be 
the  wind  until  uniformity  of  pressure  is  restored.  And 
this,  too,  is  typical  of  our  fluctuations  of  temper. 

"Within  the  Tropics  we  know  that  (except  during  a 
hurricane)  the  daily  maxima  and  minima  of  the  barometer 
vary  within  narrow  limits,  generally  less  than  the  tenth 
of  an  inch:  there  are  natures  like  that,  also,  which  move 
on  in  even  tenor — the  balance  wheels  of  human  inter- 
course. They  have  their  use,  and  so  have  the  fiery  tem- 
pers: the  one  smooths  down  the  every  day  harshness  of 
word  and  manner — the  other  is  ever  ready  for  hazard  and 
bold  enterprise.  Their  alternation — again  the  cycle  of 
temperament — keeps  the  world  progressing  in  healthy 
pace:  the  pall  of  mere  placidity  would  make  it  stagnant, 
while  the  whirl  of  erratic  action  would  cause  it  to  fly  to 
pieces. 

"Extremes  in  the  moral  order  are  not  unknown — a 
hysteria  of  crime  follows  a  reign  of  good  behavior:  it  may 
be  likened  to  a  ship  about  to  plunge  from  the  crest  of  a 


264      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

wave — the  stern  is  out  of  water  and  the  propeller  races; 
but  when  she  reaches  the  trough  of  the  sea,  it  goes  its 
regular  pace. 

"  Of  natural  phenomena  there  are  many  closely  related 
which  have  their  maxima  and  minima  about  the  same  time, 
and  indeed  some  are  entirely  synchronous,  or  recur  in 
unison,  just  as  two  clocks  tick  together:  I  shall  speak 
specifically  of  but  two  such  occurrences — sun  spots  and 
magnetic  storms.  There  are  spots  on  the  sun,  and  their 
number  varies — increasing  during  a  period  of  about  six 
years,  when  a  maximum  is  reached ;  then  falling  off  during 
a  period  of  about  five  years,  when  a  minimum  occurs: 
thus,  every  eleven  years  we  have  either  their  greatest  or 
least  number,  according  to  which  event  we  reckon  from. 

"A  magnetic  storm  is  a  commotion  of  a  medium  that 
pervades  all  space,  and  which  affects  magnetic  needles, 
as,  for  instance,  our  compasses;  though,  in  truth,  it  is  only 
small,  delicately  poised  wires — literally  needles — that 
indicate  its  smallest  movements.  The  air  may  have  the 
stillness  of  a  calm,  and  yet  a  magnetic  storm  be  raging  in 
which  magnetic  needles  and  telegraphic  instruments 
move  in  fine  frenzy,  or  rather  in  wild  erratic  motion. 
And  yet  these  magnetic  storms  do  not  come  hap-hazard, 
but  with  singular  regularity  of  maxima  and  minima;  and, 
strange  to  say,  their  extremes  always  occur  almost  at  the 
same  time  as  the  events  of  greatest  and  least  number  of 
spots  on  the  sun. 

"Such  coincidence  of  two  remote  occurrences — one  on 
the  earth  and  the  other  on  the  sun — suggests  a  bond  of 
union  between  them;  and  indeed  such  is  conceived  to  be 
the  case :  this  bond  is  the  ether  of  space,  because  it  is  sup- 
posed to  fill  all  space — the  interstices  of  matter  as  well  as 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         265 

the  boundless  distances  that  extend  unto  the  heavenly 
bodies.  The  nature  of  this  ether  is  mostly  a  matter  of 
conjecture:  we  may  liken  it  to  the  air — a  tenuous,  highly 
elastic  medium;  and  this  figment  will  roughly  fulfill  our 
purpose,  that  is,  supply  a  material  bond  to  unite  all  the 
bodies  of  the  solar  and  stellar  systems. 

"  The  air,  as  we  know,  extends  only  a  few  miles  beyond 
the  earth — enveloping  it  as  the  rind  does  an  orange;  but 
the  ether  of  space  pervades  the  universe,  and  is  the  seat 
of  the  last  great  cycle  I  shall  mention — the  magnetic:  this 
has  a  daily  oscillation — a  monthly  rise  and  fall — a  yearly 
maximum  and  minimum — and  other  recurrent  fluctuations 
which  require  centuries  to  complete — grand  movements 
upon  which  all  the  lesser  ones  are  superposed  in  regular 
gradation. 

"  It  is  always  gratifying  to  turn  to  the  achievements  of 
mind  in  the  study  of  matter:  and  nowhere  will  an  instance 
of  higher  intelligence  be  found  than  in  the  expression  of 
this  universal  feature  of  cycles  by  symbols — a  mathe- 
matical formula  which  disentangles  as  readily  the  com- 
plicated notes  of  a  musical  harmony  as  it  separates  the 
component  parts  of  a  tidal  wave,  or  the  superposed  devia- 
tions of  a  final  compass  curve.  And  this  is  what  was  ac- 
complished by  an  eminent  French  mathematician — 
Joseph  Fourier.  You  saw  its  practical  application  a  few 
weeks  ago  when  our  Captain  swung  ship  out  in  the  Pacific. 
The  investigation  of  these  cycles  of  nature  affords  immense 
pleasure  as  well  as  profit  to  the  mind. 

"  If  the  system  of  the  universe — the  motions  of  the 
heavenly  bodies  and  the  laws  of  their  movement  had  been 
revealed  en  bloc  to  man,  where  would  the  gratification  be 
that  Copernicus,  Keppler,  Gallileo  and  their  followers 


266      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

experienced  in  seeking  the  hidden  truth  ?  Where  the  just 
elation  of  the  mathematical  intellect  that  constructs 
analytical  methods  for  dealing  with  physical  problems? 
If  the  instruments  and  uses  of  electricity  had  been  placed 
before  us  as  by  the  touch  of  a  magician,  where  would  the 
intense  pleasure  of  invention  be — the  acute  activity  of 
mind — that  ecstacy  one  feels  when  his  products  astound  the 
world  and  bring  fame  and  profit?  Lost — all  lost! 

"And  similarly  would  be  lost  the  happiness  we  derive 
from  all  our  achievements  through  long  effort. 

"  God  has  given  us  the  faculties  to  do,  and  left  us  free  to 
perform :  only,  we  must  abide  by  the  results  of  our  action — 
suffer  the  penalties  if  we  break  His  law,  whether  physical 
or  moral. 

"  Man  is  loth  to  break  the  civil  law — even  to  transgress 
the  conventionalities  of  society,  because  the  punishment 
is  swift  and  merciless:  but  the  celestial  jail  is  remote  and 
hidden,  and  Divine  judgments  are  not  hastily  executed: 
they  are  reserved  for  a  future  state — the  probationary 
period  is  here  and  now;  but  ultimate  justice  will  come,  and 
it  may  not  be  tempered  with  mercy.  Woe  betide  the  man 
who  takes  no  heed  of  the  warnings  to  amend  his  vicious 
ways!  Dives,  on  earth,  did  no  good  with  his  riches;  but 
writhing  in  hell,  he  sought  to  warn  his  brethren  in  the 
flesh — but  could  not:  they  had  Moses  and  the  Prophets, 
but  hearkened  not  to  them — and  no  messenger  ever  came 
from  beyond  the  grave  to  reveal  its  secrets.  Struggle 
and  endeavor  are  the  essence  of  our  existence  in  the 
moral  as  well  as  in  the  material  field;  and  it  is  only  those 
who  labor  that  advance  the  cause  of  humanity — not  those 
who  dawdle  through  life,  lounging  in  palatial  clubs  during 
winter  and  lolling  in  luxurious  yachts  in  summer — men 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         267 

whose  thoughts  and  occupations  are  bounded  by  polo  and 
baccarat — who  gorge  and  guzzle  and  pander  to  their 
appetites:  they  eat,  drink,  and  are  merry  now.,  but  to- 
morrow they  will  die;  and  then,  like  Dives,  they  may  wish 
to  send  warning  to  the  revellers  in  the  flesh,  but  these  have 
Moses  and  the  Prophets,  yet  they  heed  them  not." 

It  is  doubtful  whether  all  who  heard  Brooks  understood 
either  the  explicit  meaning  or  the  tenor  of  his  speech;  but 
all  were  deeply  and  favorably  impressed:  it  was  wholly 
new  to  most  of  them,  and  in  a  vague,  hazy  way  they  re- 
ceived some  good  inspiration  from  it.  Besides,  it  was  in 
language  that  did  not  descend  to  what  is  commonly  sup- 
posed to  be  the  only  kind  intelligible  to  the  sailor;  and  this 
gratified  them.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  come  down  to  the 
lowest  level  of  one's  audience  either  in  speech,  manner, 
or  apparel:  it  makes  the  condition  conspicuous  and 
wounds  the  self  esteem.  Brooks  knew  his  hearers,  and 
although  he  could  readily  use  the  language  that  was 
familiar  to  them,  he  did  not  commit  the  blunder  of  doing  it. 
Puerto  BuenOy  Canale  de  los  Inocentes. 

The  Patagonian  Channels,  like  the  boulevards  of  Paris, 
take  a  new  name  at  every  radical  turn;  but  the  turns  are 
more  abrupt  and  the  course  more  tortuous  than  with  the 
boulevards. 

The  weather  continued  fine,  and  the  scenery  much  the 
same  as  on  the  preceding  day;  so  the  run  afforded  the  quiet 
pleasure  that  had  been  their  good  fortune  since  entering 
the  Gulf  of  Penas.  Toward  evening  the  Wenonah  came 
to  anchor  in  the  picturesque  little  harbor  of  Puerto  Bueno. 
Still  no  habitations — no  life. 

Brooks'  discourse  was  a  revelation  to  Northrup:  it  dis- 
closed a  variety  and  solidity  of  information  that  his  daily 


268      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

conversation  gave  few  signs  of;  and  Northrup  well  knew 
that  no  surface  skimming  of  books  could  give  the  pith  of 
the  matters  spoken  of  with  such  a  delicate  yet  firm  touch. 
With  the  lawyer's  instinct  for  acquiring  exact  information 
regarding  his  surroundings,  he  now  set  about  sounding  the 
depths  of  Doctor  Austin. 

"Doctor,  w^hat  are  your  views  regarding  the  sources 
of  pleasure  and  profit  to  man — do  you  consider  the  condi- 
tion of  strife  all  that  our  friend  Brooks  claims  for  it?" 

"Yes;  and  I  could  do  little  more  than  amplify  on  what 
he  said.  I  believe  that  real  happiness  comes  only  from 
occupation — active,  engrossing  work,  which  we  go  to  in 
the  morning  and  quit  at  night  with  the  consciousness  that 
by  the  labor  of  the  day  we  have  advanced  the  general 
cause  of  humanity  as  well  as  our  own  individual  interests. 
Then  we  feel  satisfaction  and  pleasure  such  as  the  man 
cannot,  who  fritters  away  his  time — no  object  in  view — no 
employment  for  his  energy,  more  than  the  growing  plant 
or  the  savage  of  the  forest  has. 

"  But  besides  serious  work,  there  are  many  occupations 
which  abound  with  pleasure,  not  only  in  their  pursuit,  but 
subsequently  in  spreading  happiness  among  others. 

"Consider  the  writer  of  fiction:  he  lives  with  the  crea- 
tures of  his  fancy,  joining  in  their  laughter,  speaking  their 
language,  and,  if  his  book  be  good,  imparting  this  happy 
vein  to  countless  readers. 

"Then  the  delight — the  ecstacy,  I  may  say,  of  the 
musical  composer;  and  what  multitudes  respond  sympa- 
thetically to  his  work !  The  favorite  airs  of  the  old  operas 
alone  have  stirred  the  hearts  of  millions,  while  the  simple 
ballads  of  a  race  have  set  a  whole  nation  humming. 
There  is  the  patriotic  chord — the  American  thrills  at  the 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         269 

sound  of  the  Star  Spangled  Banner;  the  German  shakes 
off  his  phlegm  at  Die  Wacht  Am  Rhein,  and  the  French- 
man is  inflamed  by  the  Marseillaise.  The  majestic  strains 
of  the  Stabat  Mater  send  a  lugubrious,  penetrating  shiver 
through  one;  while  the  joyous  Adeste  Fideles  awakens  all 
the  jubilant  feeling  of  Christmas.  So  much  for  those 
who  compose  and  those  who  listen ;  but  think  of  the  num- 
bers who  spend  hours  in  rapt  delight  with  violin,  guitar, 
and  piano! 

"  I  might  speak  in  like  manner  of  the  pleasures  afforded 
by  architecture,  painting,  the  sciences,  law,  military  life 
or  commerce:  even  the  skilled  mechanic  cannot  be  wholly 
devoid  of  gratification  at  the  beautiful  structure  rising 
under  his  hand,  humble  though  his  part  in  it  be,  and 
cramped  as  it  probably  is  by  the  repressive  trade-union, 
which  tends  to  reduce  individuality  of  head  and  heart,  as 
well  as  of  hand,  to  one  low  level  of  mediocrity. 

"  Now  all  this  elation  results  from  work — the  condition 
of  strife;  and  if  what  labor  attains,  were  given  us  without 
effort,  the  pleasure,  profit,  and  improvement  attendant 
upon  its  acquisition  would  of  course  not  exist. 

"Brooks  spoke  of  Fourier's  theorem:  a  man  competent 
to  deal  with  that  must  have  gone  through  much  anterior 
mathematical  study — subsidiary  branches  essential  to  its 
comprehension :  his  view  of  the  science  is  therefore  broader 
than  if  it  had  been  cut  off  at  the  numerical  computations 
of  arithmetic,  or  the  primary  equations  of  alegbra,  or  the 
geometrical  simplicity  of  Euclid,  or  at  any  other  stage  of 
this  labyrinth  of  symbols;  but  his  vision  would  not  take 
in  the  extensive  field  that  a  Descarte  or  a  Laplace  did,  who 
saw  through  the  most  intricate  tangle  of  mathematics. 

"I  mean  by  this,  that  our  appreciation  of  anything 


270      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

depends  as  much  on  the  degree  of  knowledge  we  possess  of 
it,  as  on  the  acuteness  of  our  faculties.  I  have  heard  some 
loose  users  of  word  and  phrase  speak  of  a  person  as  a  fine 
mathematican,  who  was  merely  quick  at  figures.  Such 
a  one,  no  doubt,  might  discount  a  Lagrange  in  numerical 
computations;  but  his  aptness  is  with  the  mere  brick  and 
mortar  of  the  science,  which,  like  the  child,  he  piles  into 
varied  shape:  the  master  mind,  however,  constructs  the 
noble  edifice  and  devises  all  its  complexity;  the  former 
sees  only  what  is  flat  upon  the  ground — the  latter  per- 
ceives what  rises  to  the  sky;  the  limitations  of  the  one  dwarf 
his  view — the  extensive  knowledge  and  acute  faculties 
of  the  other  enable  him  to  appreciate  the  grandeur  and 
scope  of  his  subject.  And  so  it  is  with  every  other  matter 
that  comes  within  the  range  of  human  experience.  Who, 
then,  dare  say  that  the  auditory  nerves  of  Jeanne  d*  Arc 
were  not  attuned  to  angel  voices!  Certainly,  her  whole 
life  was  in  harmony  with  the  most  refined  perceptions. 

"I  have  spoken  of  the  happiness  derived  from  labor: 
there  is  another  source,  inexhaustible  to  both  giver  and 
receiver,  which,  although  not  strictly  within  the  category 
of  work,  still  requires  some  effort  on  the  part  of  those  not 
endowed  with  its  tendency;  I  mean  kindness — courtesy 
of  word  and  manner  toward  all  in  the  measure  each  is 
entitled  to  it.  Of  course  I  don't  mean  the  surface  polish 
that  is  put  on  when  we  choose,  and  dropped  according 
to  whim;  this  may  be  acquired  by  mere  intercourse  with 
the  world;  it  is  insincere — chiefly  facial — contortional — 
a  kindling  of  the  eye — a  set  smile — a  stereotyped  phrase 
of  greeting:  it  destroys  nature  in  man  and  subverts  true 
feeling. 

"As  you  sow — so  will  you  reap:  nothing  truer.     The 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS  271 

man  who  has  a  tendency  to  withdraw  from  his  kind,  will 
find  that  this  grows  with  the  years,  until,  in  old  age,  the 
estrangement  causes  people  to  avoid  him:  he  meets  with 
no  entente  cordiale,  but  quite  the  contrary — porcupine 
quills,  all  on  end.  The  craving  for  companionship  may 
be  in  him,  but  it  awakens  no  response — he  even  repels: 
people  are  disposed  to  take  offence  at  his  most  trivial 
acts,  whereas  such,  and  much  more,  would  be  overlooked 
if  he  were  on  friendly  terms  with  them.  The  germ  of 
misanthropy  should  be  strangled  in  early  life  both  for  our 
own  sake  and  that  of  others :  it  is  the  small  actions  of  daily 
intercourse  that  leave  either  the  sting  or  the  sense  of 
pleasure. 

"The  lubricants  of  social  intercourse — the  wine  cup, 
the  anecdote,  and  the  cigar — are  not  the  heritage  of  all; 
and  they  fit  ill  those  natures  to  which  they  are  exotic  and 
upon  which  they  are  engrafted.  Every  nature  has  its 
own  web  and  woof  which  adapts  it  to  a  particular  course 
of  conduct,  just  as  the  color,  weight,  and  texture  of  cloth 
make  it  suitable  for  certain  garments;  but  both  nature 
and  the  garment  can  be  made  seemly  and  pleasing — it  is 
all  in  the  cut,  fit,  and  trimming  of  the  garment;  and  in  the 
proper  training  of  the  conduct.  The  wounds  to  others' 
feelings  are  the  seeds  of  prejudices  which  we  sow — 
eventually,  they  will  become  thorns  to  sting  us.  And  it  is 
not  individual  animosity  alone  we  thus  arouse:  every 
confraternity  will,  to  some  extent,  espouse  the  quarrels 
of  its  members;  it  is  this  well  known  trait  that  restrains 
the  prudent  man  from  relating  his  grievances  to  one  who 
sympathises  with  the  aggressor — his  plaint  is  poured  into 
hostile  ears. 

"This  is  but  a  variant  of  the  despicable  boycott;  and 


272      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

there  is  another  evil,  like  unto  it,  due  to  association:  any 
confraternity,  as  a  body,  has  its  tastes,  prejudices,  biases, 
opinions,  likes,  and  dislikes,  which  are  a  medley  of  those 
of  the  individuals  composing  it;  and  these  general  limita- 
tions tend  to  mold  every  member  to  their  form — he  is  in  a 
measure  restrained  of  his  natural  freedom  of  thought,  word, 
and  act:  his  opinions  (unless  he  be  of  flint)  are  strongly 
tinctured  with  the  bias  of  his  social  surroundings,  or  of 
his  club,  or  political  party,  or  religious  belief. 

"  But  I  wander  from  the  answer  to  your  question,  Mr. 
Northrup:  indeed,  I  fear  I've  been  rambling  for  some  time, 
and  so  will  stop  short." 

Isthmus  Bay,   Smyth  Channel. 

At  dawn  the  ship  was  again  underway,  with,  however, 
but  a  short  distance  to  run  to  the  next  anchorage — Isthmus 
Bay.  This  was  a  very  pretty  little  shelter,  hemmed  in  by 
hills  covered  with  foliage  which  was  brilliant  with  the 
changing  hues  of  autumn.  The  day  broke  cloudy,  dismal, 
and  raw,  with  an  occasional  sprinkle  of  rain — such  weather 
as  damps  the  spirits  and  brings  on  gloomy  thoughts:  the 
month  was  March — the  prelude  to  winter  in  this  region, 
52°  south  latitude.  During  the  run,  the  ship  passed  within 
view  of  a  large  glacier,  the  first  that  many  on  board  had 
ever  seen :  it  was  of  pale  green,  with  extensive  fields  of  snow 
around  it,  and  high  mountains  in  the  remote  distance — 
a  grand  Antarctic  scene. 

If  any  one  ever  wondered  where  the  toilsome  ox  finally 
laid  aside  his  yoke,  or  the  aged  hen  ceased  from  hatching 
multitudinous  chickens,  he  would  only  have  to  go  to  sea 
and  partake  of  the  "prime  roast  beef"  that  is  canned,  or 
the  "choice  spring  chicken"  that  is  potted — the  one  as 
tough  as  rope  yarns,  arid  the  other  as  tasteless  as  saw  dust : 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         273 

both  are  flagrant  frauds  on  man's  nutrition.  For  some 
days  the  supply  of  fresh  meat  and  live  stock  laid  in  at 
Callao  had  been  running  short,  and  the  meals  were  made 
up  more  and  more  of  canned  stuff  variously  disguised. 
Whatever  may  be  said  of  preserved  fruits  and  vegetables, 
little  can  be  advanced  in  favor  of  the  meats :  true,  they  fill 
a  yawning  void,  but  supply  no  more  nourishment  than 
salt  codfish,  or  food  that  is  kept  too  long  in  cold  storage. 

The  benefits  of  cold  storage  have  been  greatly  over-shot : 
it  is  now  chiefly  a  means  of  flooding  the  market  with  un- 
wholesome food — fruit  plucked  when  half  ripe,  which 
becomes  mushy  and  void  of  juice;  vegetables  not  fully 
grown,  and  insipid;  fish  that  is  flabby  and  malodorous; 
and  meat  that  is  little  more  than  pulpy  fibre.  All  this 
comes  from  keeping  undeveloped  food  under  the  influence 
of  cold  until  every  vital  principle  is  dead — dead  in  flavor — 
dead  in  nutriment — really  decayed  matter  that  is  slowly 
poisoning  those  who,  on  account  of  its  cheapness,  are 
compelled  to  eat  it. 

The  weather  was  changing,  and  the  food  was  having  its 
effect :  however  humiliating  it  may  be  to  acknowledge,  still 
it  is  none  the  less  true,  that  the  stomach  is  our  most  power- 
ful organ  for  good  or  evil ;  feed  it  well,  and  we  are  disposed 
to  be  happy — a  benefactor  to  man  and  beast ;  but  starve  it, 
and  we  become  splenetic,  peevish,  and  malevolent.  Thus 
when  evening  came,  and  a  craving  maw  was  the  only 
remembrance  our  passengers  had  of  the  meal  from  which 
they  rose,  there  was  no  disposition  to  make  merry — even 
to  take  a  charitable  view  of  life.  Northrup  was  asked  to 
tell  a  story  to  raise  their  spirits. 

"No,"  he  said;  "the  bears  are  in  the  ascendent  to-day: 
I  fear,  Doctor,  that  you  and  Brooks  have  been  bulling  the 

18 


274      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

market  too  much  of  late — lauding  the  good  that  is  in  man: 
now  comes  the  reaction — the  cycle  of  good  and  evil,  eh, 
Brooks  ? — and  so  I  had  better  give  vent  to  the  spleen  that 
is  in  us  all. 

"  What  do  I  think  of  the  self-made  man  ?  I  think  that 
often  he  doesn't  deserve  success,  his  action  toward  those 
still  on  the  low  level  from  which  he  rose,  is  so  contemptible. 
I  have  observed  that  when  he  becomes  prosperous,  he  also 
becomes  inflated.  The  arrogance  of  office  is  multiform :  in 
one  man  it  is  due  to  the  money  he  has  made  in  some  calling 
he  should  blush  for;  in  another,  to  a  social  status  recently 
acquired;  in  a  third,  to  some  public  office  he  holds — a 
little  brief  authority;  and  in  all  it  is  the  manifestation  of  a 
weak  trait,  whereby  the  head  is  turned  and  we  lose  sym- 
pathy for  our  struggling  kind — forget  that  it  was  only 
yesterday  we  suffered  the  pangs  that  now  appeal  to  us  for 
succor. 

"  Some  people  deem  mere  success — however  attained — 
the  only  rule  by  which  to  measure  man ;  and  they  mete  out 
consideration  or  contempt  accordingly:  they  look  at  results 
only — worship  the  shining  sun,  and  forget  that  even  when 
obscured,  he  shoots  out  rays  as  ardent  as  ever,  to  dissolve 
the  temporary  clouds.  The  man  who  hasn't  succeeded, 
may  have  striven  as  hard  as  the  one  who  did  succeed;  but 
luck  was  against  him — a  combination  of  circumstances 
which  he  could  neither  foresee  nor  control. 

"Not  long  ago,  the  name  of  a  ship  of  our  Navy  was 
changed  to  avoid  the  odium  of  failure —  a  tribute  to  mere 
success:  the  Chesapeake,  for  want  of  time  to  shake  down 
and  organize,  was  wholly  unprepared  for  action;  yet 
Lawrence  accepted  the  challenge  of  the  Shannon  and 
bravely  fought  his  ship  to  death.  So,  Semmes  sailed 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         275 

out  of  Cherbourg  to  meet  the  Kearsarge  with  the  well 
founded  feeling  that  it  was  to  defeat — yet  he  fearlessly  went, 
and  lost  his  ship.  And  so,  too,  Cervera  crossed  the  At- 
lantic and  made  the  sortie  from  Santiago  with  the  convic- 
tion that  only  disaster  awaited  him.  Now  in  all  these 
cases,  and  numerous  others  that  might  be  cited,  the  cour- 
age that  fought  and  failed,  was  as  deserving  of  emulation 
and  praise  as  the  courage  that  won — even  more  so;  for 
besides  the  disparity  in  material  resources,  the  inferior 
had  to  combat  the  moral  depression  of  conscious  weak- 
ness, while  his  opponent  was  buoyed  up  by  the  knowledge 
of  superior  strength :  it  is  the  spirit  of  the  collie  undaunted 
by  the  ferocity  of  the  bull-dog. 

"In  walking  down  Broadway,  I  come  at  intervals  to  a 
store  that  is  occupied  for  awhile,  and  then  for  rent  again: 
eventually,  it  falls  into  the  clutches  of  a  tramp  tenant — 
a  dealer  in  trunks  or  rugs  who  is  forever  selling  off  at  cost: 
no  one  else  will  take  it.  The  building  itself  is  fine,  the 
location  excellent — why  is  it  shunned  like  a  haunted 
house?  In  its  early  days  some  slight  occurrence  brought 
it  into  disfavor — every  recurring  vacancy  after  a  short 
rental  only  added  to  the  ill  repute,  until  finally  it  failed 
altogether  of  a  steady  tenant;  and  this  chiefly  through  the 
mere  frequency  of  its  unoccupied  periods. 

"  So  with  the  sensitive  person  coming  into  hostile  condi- 
tions: these  may  be  the  weighty  affairs  of  an  important 
public  office,  or  only  the  gossiping  coterie  of  a  summer 
hotel;  he  anticipates  the  adverse  criticism  that  is  fore- 
shadowed in  look  and  manner,  and  has  not  long  to  wait 
for  the  glibly  uttered  word ;  it  worries  him  and  disorganizes 
his  forces  even  before  he  can  bring  them  into  action.  This 
is  the  first  assault — it  weakens  his  powers  and  makes  him 


276      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

more  apprehensive  for  the  next  effort;  that  fails  more 
easily;  and  so  timidity  grows  until  he  is  like  the  Broadway 
store — a  failure! 

"  And  yet  he  had  the  faculties  to  succeed — his  sensitive- 
ness denoted  qualities  both  active  and  acute,  and  he  needed 
only  the  grasp  of  good  fellowship  to  encourage,  not  the  cold 
shoulder  to  dishearten;  but  being  over  sensitive,  his 
energies  shrivelled  at  the  chill  of  his  surroundings.  There 
are  many  whose  non-success  is  due  to  this  and  not  to  in- 
capacity: the  first  criticism  of  a  human  viper  sets  the  tide 
against  them;  and  on  it  flows  and  gathers  strength  and 
volume  until  it  swamps  them.  O,  the  viciousness  of  the 
calumniator!  His  influence  is  akin  to  that  of  the  haunted 
house,  the  unlucky  ship,  or  the  churchyard  grave — it 
intimidates,  throws  the  nerves  into  trepidation,  and  upsets 
the  normal  condition,  so  that  one  is  more  likely  to  blunder. 
The  sensitive  person  has  a  cog  of  his  delicate  mechanism 
thrown  out  of  gear,  and  the  whole  organization  works 
wrong;  this,  oft  repeated,  breaks  down  the  spirit  and 
weakens  the  character.  It  is  well  illustrated  where  the 
superior  is  forever  finding  fault  with  a  subordinate — 
nagging  him — irritating  him  until  a  state  of  apprehension 
is  brought  about  which  results  in  frequent  mistakes. 

"  Of  course  no  one  believes  in  the  existence  of  a  sprite 
in  the  haunted  house,  but  none  the  less,  we  tread  timor- 
ously in  its  vicinity. 

"So,  with  a  new-comer  into  an  unsympathetic  com- 
munity, as,  for  instance,  a  new  Captain  to  a  ship  already 
long  in  commission:  he  picks  his  steps  tentatively,  as 
through  briars,  over  rough  stones,  or  among  pitfalls,  in 
order  to  lessen  the  bias  toward  his  predecessor  or  soften 
the  prejudice  against  himself;  what  would  otherwise  be 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         277 

bold  action  is  made  cautious,  not  through  fear  of  any  ghost 
or  ghoul,  but  through  the  influences  of  the  situation — the 
endeavor  not  to  run  counter  to  long  established  usage — 
the  vested  rights  (as  they  regard  them)  of  those  he  comes 
amongst.  This  is  the  new  Captain's  haunted  house,  and 
it  tends  to  fritter  away  his  efforts  and  reduce  him  to 
timidity. 

"And  the  agnostic  voluntarily  brings  himself  to  this 
condition  by  his  eternal '  I  don't  know.'  But  the  man  who 
doesn't  know,  has  nevertheless  been  told ;  and  if  he  wishes 
ocular  proof  of  both  design  and  Designer  in  the  plan  of 
Earth,  let  him  go,  first  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of 
Art  in  Central  Park  and  look  upon  the  multitudinous 
productions  of  man — the  paintings;  the  statuary;  the 
delicate  tracery  in  gold  and  silver;  the  armor  of  curious 
shape;  the  laces  of  fine  texture;  the  carvings  in  wood; 
the  musical  instruments  remote  and  recent;  the  pottery  and 
glassware  of  exquisite  workmanship ;  and  a  thousand  other 
objects  to  prove  genius — the  faculties  that  thought, 
wrought,  and  moulded:  then  let  him  cross  the  Park  to 
the  Museum  of  Natural  History  and  see  what  God  has 
created — birds,  countless  in  form,  size,  and  variety  of 
plumage;  animals  of  astounding  shape;  fishes  large  and 
small;  insects  without  number;  and  reptiles  of  every  kind. 

"At  one  time  they  all  moved — flew,  ran,  crawled  or 
swam;  now,  their  carcasses  alone  remain  for  our  pastime 
or  instruction — the  breath  has  been  taken  from  their 
bodies.  Then  there  are  the  multitudes  of  other  objects — 
shells  of  endless  convolution ;  corals  of  infinite  ramification ; 
trees  of  every  size — the  stunted  crab-apple,  and  the  mag- 
nificent sequoia  that  germinated  when  Justinian  reigned; 
the  fruits  of  the  orchard;  the  vegetables  of  the  garden;  the 


278      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

flowers  of  the  field — all  marvels  of  beauty  and  fragrance; 
and  these,  too,  had  their  youth,  prime,  and  decadence — 
a  life  which  God  alone  can  give,  and  man  never  produce. 

"When  we  see  this  animation  in  all  its  intricacy  per- 
vaded by  the  most  minute  adaptation  of  means  to  ends — 
order,  design,  arrangement,  system — we  become  faintly 
conscious  of  the  immense  Power  that  created  it  and  have 
some  knowledge  of  the  signification  of  Omnipotence. 

"  Truly,  it  was  a  fool  that  said  in  his  heart — '  There  is  no 
God!'" 

Otter  Bay,  Mayne  Channel. 

In  the  Spanish  sailing  directions  for  the  Patagonian 
Channels  will  be  found  the  following:  El  marino  que 
desgraciadamente  permanezca  algun  tiempo  en  estos 
canales,  esperimentara  dia  a  dia  un  perpetuo  aguacero,  a 
menos  que  le  quepa  en  suerte  uno  de  esos  veranitos  de 
precioso  tiempo  que  suelen  tener  lugar:  entonces  hallara 
interesante  la  navegacion,  gozando  de  una  mar  com- 
pletamente  liana,  de  fondeadores  abrigados  y  de  escenas 
y  perspectivas  de  un  estilo  el  mas  hermoso  y  pintoresco. 
Desgraciadamente,  estas  ocasiones  son  muy  raras. 

The  Wenonah  had  been  a  week  in  the  Channels,  and 
with  the  exception  of  the  day  in  the  English  Narrows,  had 
certainly  been  favored  with  one  of  those  rare  veranitos, 
or  little  summers.  Now,  however,  the  customary  weather 
broke  upon  them — heavy  squalls  of  wind  and  rain,  with 
frequent  black  storms.  The  ship  left  Isthmus  Bay  at  early 
daylight,  notwithstanding  a  period  of  this  kind  was  brewing 
— in  fact,  in  embryo:  it  hatched  rapidly,  and  was  full 
fledged  ere  the  ship  made  twenty  miles — the  rain  fell,  the 
wind  blew,  and  the  mist  was  so  thick  that  it  was  only  with 
difficulty  the  proper  channel  could  be  made  out;  at  one 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS        279 

point  in  particular  the  difficulties  became  most  perplexing 
— one  passage  was  shown  on  the  chart  to  have  plenty  of 
water  and  no  dangers,  while  another  was  shallow  and  full 
of  rocks;  but  both  were  in  the  midst  of  several  openings, 
and  how  to  distinguish  between  them  was  the  question. 
The  ship  was  going  on,  however — the  wind  continued  in 
violent  squalls — the  rain  beat  in  the  face  and  blinded  the 
vision — and  yet  the  contours  and  grouping  of  the  islands 
didn't  change  sufficiently  to  remove  doubt  as  to  the  right 
channel.  But  ere  long  the  Captain  must  decide — he  must 
go  through  one  of  the  openings:  he  slowed  down  to  con- 
sider, but  it  was  hard  to  keep  the  ship  in  any  one  direction 
with  the  heavy  squalls  from  different  points  of  the  compass. 
It  was  one  of  those  junctures  so  frequent  in  the  career 
of  the  seaman — conditions  out  of  which  there  is  a  safe  and 
an  unsafe  course,  but  both  so  nearly  balanced  that  it  is 
puzzling  which  to  take;  yet  the  man  on  the  bridge  must 
think  quickly  and  decide  promptly — events  occur  in  rapid 
succession,  and  he  has  not  the  time  to  weigh  with  nicety  the 
evidence  for  either  side.  He  has  not  the  financier's 
deliberation  for  a  premeditated  coup — his  blow  must  be 
swift  and  bold.  In  no  man's  career  is  more  rapid  action  of 
the  faculties  demanded — action,  too,  which  oft  times  brings 
disaster  and  death,  if  a  mistake  be  made.  Remember 
this — the  forced  draught  under  which  the  brain  acts  in 
dangerous  emergencies,  ye  who  would  hastily  pass  judg- 
ment upon  disasters  at  sea:  remember  it  in  particular,  ye 
who  are  convoked  in  solemn  conclave  to  inquire  into  the 
conduct  of  a  fellow  seaman  who  has  come  to  grief.  Ye 
sit  in  a  quiet,  comfortable  room,  around  a  table  provided 
with  charts,  sailing  directions,  and  every  other  aid  to  an 
understanding  of  the  case;  the  facts  are  drawn  from  the 


280      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

witnesses  and  appear  in  type  written  sheets ;  but  they  are 
bald  and  bare — they  have  not  the  vitality  and  accessories 
of  the  actual  occurrence — they  are  only  the  partial,  not  the 
whole,  truth:  besides,  ye  of  the  court  have  ample  time  to 
consider  them  and  form  a  deliberate  judgment,  whereas 
the  man  on  the  bridge  had  to  think  amidst  the  violence  of 
the  tempest,  the  rolling  billows,  the  falling  rain,  and  the 
ship  meanwhile  running  into  danger — all  around  him 
tumult  and  uproar,  and  possibly  beneath  him  treachery, 
eager  to  thwart  him  for  some  fancied  severity,  and  which 
will  falsely  color  testimony  to  his  injury — remember  all 
this,  ye  who  maturely  consider  the  evidence,  and  hesitate 
lest  it  be  ye  who  in  the  calmness  of  your  decision  are  guilty 
of  an  error  of  judgment,  and  not  the  man  who  had  to  act 
amidst  the  turbulence  of  the  events  themselves. 

The  ship  kept  on,  while  Colburn  tried  to  peer  through 
the  mist  for  some  sign  that  would  indicate  the  true  from 
the  false  route;  but  none  appeared. 

From  previous  study  of  the  charts  and  sailing  directions, 
as  well  as  from  close  observation  of  the  lay  of  the  land 
since  getting  under  way,  he  had  a  fairly  accurate  grouping 
of  the  conditions  in  his  mind ;  but  a  mental  picture  derived 
from  outlines  on  a  chart  is  very  inadequate — it  lacks 
perspective,  and  often  differs  materially  from  the  actual 
appearance  of  the  islands  and  headlands  themselves:  the 
one  is  the  bird's  eye  view  from  aloft — the  other,  the  aspect 
presented  from  a  single  point  in  their  midst,  from  which 
only  certain  features  come  into  the  field  of  vision.  Colburn 
had  only  the  former;  so  that  it  was  almost  through  instinct 
— an  intuitive  impulse,  rather  than  precise  knowledge,  that 
he  finally  headed  the  ship  for  one  of  the  openings  and 
increased  her  speed,  In  a  few  minutes  he  had  the  satis- 


THROUGH  THE  PATAGONIAN  CHANNELS         281 

faction  of  seeing  that  he  was  right;  for  the  shoal  water  of 
the  adjoining  route  appeared  through  the  mist,  and  his 
anxiety  ended  in  a  heartfelt,  "Thank  God !"  It  might  well 
have  been  otherwise — that  the  bones  of  the  Wenonah 
might  now  be  bleaching  on  the  sands  of  Patagonia. 

But  he  had  entered  the  passage  and  rounded  the  island 
only  to  find  all  ahead  shut  in  with  thick  fog;  he  could  not 
go  on,  so  he  regretfully  turned  into  Otter  Bay — a  little  cove 
close  at  hand.  It  was  only  the  early  forenoon,  and  he 
hoped  the  weather  would  soon  clear  and  allow  him  proceed : 
again  disappointment ;  the  harbor  was  full  of  a  soft,  warm 
fog  when  he  anchored,  but  in  an  hour  it  gave  way  to  a 
wintry  blast — the  wind  rose,  snow  fell,  and  the  barometer 
indicated  a  storm.  It  came — in  violent  gusts,  first  from 
one  direction  and  then  another,  as  if  each  mountain  peak 
held  a  pent-up  blast  to  belch  forth.  The  ship  yawed  and 
wrenched  at  her  anchors — driving  to  starboard — darting 
to  port — stretching  out  the  chain  until  she  all  but  touched 
the  beach,  and  so  on  through  the  live  long  day  and  all  the 
night.  The  starboard  anchor  had  ninety  fathoms  veered 
on  it,  with  the  chain  well  stoppered ;  while  the  port  anchor 
was  simply  let  go,  and  the  compressor  thrown  back,  so 
that  any  real  dragging  would  be  indicated  by  the  port 
chain  running  out:  but  it  surged  only  a  few  fathoms  with 
each  scend  of  the  ship  to  a  squall.  The  Wenonah  was 
weather  bound — in  almost  winter  cold  and  a  snow  storm. 

To  keep  warm,  Austin  and  Brooks  rapidly  paced  the 
deck:  the  latter  said, 

"Doctor,  I  have  a  little  scheme  which  I'd  like  to  lay 
before  you." 

"What  is  it,  George?" 

"  Well,  we  shall  soon  enter  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  and 


282      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

then  our  quiet  nights  at  anchor  will  shortly  be  at  an  end: 
let  us  take  advantage  of  the  next  one — say  at  Glacier  Bay — 
to  renew  our  little  entertainments:  I  think  they  keep  the 
men  from  brooding.  I'll  go  among  them  and  drum  up 
recruits  for  the  affair:  I'll  get  the  darkies  with  their  banjos; 
the  Irishmen  for  a  clog  dance;  the  Neapolitans  for  a  boat 
carol;  the  Spaniards  for  guitar  duet;  the  French  sailors  to 
sing  the  Marseillaise;  and  finally,  Northrup  to  tell  some 
amusing  stories.  But  all  this  is  only  preliminary  to 
the  real  purpose  of  my  project.  Northrup  appears  to 
have  the  faculty  of  giving  clear,  strong  expression  to  what 
is  evil  in  man :  now,  when  he  has  got  the  boys  all  laughing, 
let  him  have  the  antithesis,  and  launch  into  an  exposure 
of  treachery  and  slander,  especially  on  board  ship.  What 
do  you  think  of  it  ?" 

"Excellent;  but  will  Northrup  consent?" 

"I  think  so:  he  knows  as  well  as  we  the  conditions 
aboard  here,  and  it  will  afford  him  an  opportunity  to  cen- 
sure them,  under  the  guise  of  a  general  talk."  And  so 
Brooks  went  to  set  the  ball  a-rolling. 

The  following  morning  presented  a  weird,  desolate, 
wintry  scene — the  mountains  clothed  with  snow,  the  sky 
leaden  and  lowering,  the  wind  gusty  with  heavy  hail 
squalls,  and  the  whole  prospect  wild  in  the  extreme. 

At  daylight  the  ship  got  underway  and  stood  down 
Smyth  Channel ;  and  by  ten  o'clock  she  emerged  from  the 
last  of  these  contracted  passages  and  entered  the  broad 
waters  of  the  Straits  of  Magellan. 


CHAPTER  XV 

IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN 

Glacier  Bay. 

IT  WAS  a  relief  to  have  some  sea  room,  and  Captain 
Colburn  felt  more  in  his  element  in  the  wide  Straits  where 
he  could  steer  a  course  for  some  miles,  than  in  the  narrow 
channels  where  he  had  to  make  a  tortuous  route  among 
the  islands.  With  the  longing  of  one  set  free  from  a 
cramped  position  to  stretch  himself,  he  ordered  all  sail 
set  and  stood  for  Glacier  Bay  at  a  good  speed :  here  he  ar- 
rived in  the  early  evening.  It  was  a  picturesque  harbor, 
which  took  its  name  from  an  immense  glacier  that  extends 
from  an  elevation  of  four  thousand  feet  down  into  the  very 
bay,  presenting  a  beautiful  spectacle  with  its  pale  green 
tints.  Indeed  the  ship  anchored  but  a  short  distance 
from  its  extremity. 

Brooks  had  made  every  preparation  for  the  evening 
entertainment  (as  set  forth  in  the  last  chapter),  and  after 
dinner  it  was  carried  out  according  to  programme.  The 
enjoyment  rose  at  each  new  piece,  as  if  the  desire  for 
pleasure — long  pent-up — was  bound  to  have  free  flow; 
so  that  when  Northrup  began  his  stories,  the  company 
(including  nearly  all  on  board,  even  Hawse  and  Sam 
Ruggles)  were  at  that  point  of  hilarity  which  would  laugh 
at  any  tale;  but  Northrup  had  chosen  some  of  his  best 
anecdotes  for  this  occasion,  and  related  them  with  fine 
spirit:  the  merriment  had  almost  reached  hysteria,  when 

283 


284      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

suddenly,  with  all  the  gravity  he  could  command,  he  said: 

"Now,  my  friends,  you  are  light-hearted  and  happy; 
and  is  it  not  a  pity  you  should  ever  be  otherwise  through 
an  evil  influence  that  stirs  up  discord  among  you — I  mean 
in  the  seafaring  community  in  general?  I  allude  to  a 
trait  in  man  which  shows  itself  on  board  ship  in  disloyalty 
on  the  part  of  subordinates:  I  want  to  speak  of  this  trait 
under  two  heads — slander  and  treachery;  though,  in 
truth,  they  usually  run  together. 

"The  slanderous  word  germinates  in  the  malicious 
thought,  and  bears  its  fruit  in  the  treacherous  deed: 
whoever  slanders,  does  a  disloyal  act;  and  the  defamatory 
current  often  runs  into  a  morass  of  lies. 

"Treachery  is  of  many  varieties:  on  its  infamous  pin- 
nacle stands  the  betrayal  of  the  Saviour  of  mankind; 
while  in  descending  gradation  we  meet  the  treason  of  a 
Benedict  Arnold,  the  deceptions  of  employee  toward 
employer,  the  deceits  of  servant  toward  master,  and  those 
numerous  petty  disloyalties  of  subordinate  toward  superior 
in  the  life  at  sea. 

"  What  is  assailed  in  all  these  cases  ?  Reputation — 
Character:  they  are  not  identical,  though  often  used  one 
for  the  other.  Certain  traits  are  distinctive  in  every 
individual:  facial  expression,  walk,  speech,  and  general 
deportment — these  separate  man  from  man  and  are  an 
index  of  character.  The  calumniator  can  influence  them; 
for  his  petty  lies  may  rain  down  so  heavy  on  a  sensitive 
person  as  to  beget  the  uncertain  gait,  the  hesitating 
speech,  the  hunted  look,  or  the  timid  manner.  But  it 
is  on  Reputation — what  people  think  of  a  man — his  good 
or  evil  repute — that  the  slanderer  does  his  most  effective 
work :  *  The  tongue  .  .  .  [is]  an  unquiet  evil,  full  of  deadly 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  285 

poison;  by  it  we  bless  God  .  .  .  ,  and  by  it  we  curse 
men,  who  are  made  after  the  likeness  of  God.' 

"That  great  delineator  of  human  wickedness — Shak- 
spere — has  depicted  every  shade  of  treachery  and  slander; 
but  nowhere  with  so  much  skill  and  vigor  as  in  the  charac- 
ter of  lago — a  wretch  unsurpassed  for  baseness:  the 
intimate  who  wins  your  confidence  in  order  to  betray  it — 
the  hypocrite  who  professes  friendship  and  fails  to  defend 
you — the  subordinate  who  simulates  loyalty,  and  stabs 
you  in  the  back:  lago  is  repugnant  with  the  half  lie  and 
the  treacherous  deed  under  the  guise  of  a  kindly  act. 
Let  me  say  a  word  about  him  : 

"  Othello — a  dusky  Moor  and  General  of  great  military 
achievement — is  in  the  service  of  Venice:  he  makes  one 
Cassio  his  Lieutenant — a  position  which  lago  coveted 
and  expected. 

"The  play  opens  with  a  colloquy  between  lago  and  a 
certain  Rodrigo  regarding  Cassio 's  appointment,  in  which 
lago  derides  Cassio's  unfitness  for  the  place — that  he  was 
no  soldier — saw  no  more  of  battle  than  a  spinster — and 
knew  of  war  only  its  theory :  whereas  he,  lago,  had  proved 
his  valor  on  many  a  bloody  field  under  the  very  eyes  of 
Othello. 

"That  such  a  one  should  be  the  Lieutenant,  and  he 
himself  only  the  Moor's  Ancient — a  low  down  subordinate 
— a  kind  of  valet ! — was  most  humiliating. 

"Here,  my  friends,  is  the  motive  of  his  treachery — 
balked  ambition.  He  failed  to  get  the  billet  he  wanted, 
where  he  could  vaunt  his  authority  and  disport  his  pride. 
And  there  is  to-day  many  a  ship  sailing  the  sea  in  which 
similar  conditions  prevail :  the  subordinate  is  restive  under 
control,  and  vents  his  bile  in  railing  at  the  superior;  the 


286      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Mate  slanders  the  Captain,  treats  his  orders  with  con- 
tumely (behind  his  back),  feigns  sympathy  with  the  crew, 
exaggerates  their  hardships,  encourages  their  growls, 
and  generally  stirs  up  discord  among  all  on  board.  Why  ? 
lago  gives  the  reason — at  least  one  reason :  'Tis  the  curse 
of  service — preferment  goes  by  letter  and  affection,  and 
not  by  old  gradation,  where  each  second  stood  heir  to  the 
first.'  Yes,  there  is  a  vital  principle  involved  in  this 
statement,  not  only  for  the  military  life,  but  also  for  the 
naval — even  its  mercantile  branch.  Seniority  has  a  just 
claim  to  advancement:  whoever  has  grown  up  in  a  pro- 
fession— has  had  its  practice  harden  his  muscle  and  its 
intricacies  permeate  his  brain,  is  entitled  to  its  benefits — 
the  vacancy  when  it  occurs — the  desirable  duty  when  it 
arises.  And  not  to  give  it  (unless  on  account  of  unfitness) 
— to  prefer  the  stranger  or  promote  the  man  out  of  his 
turn — is  to  plant  a  thorn  in  the  heart  of  the  rightful 
heir,  which  will  envenom  him:  he  will  bide  his  time  for 
revenge. 

"  Why  Othello  chose  the  novice  Cassio  rather  than  the 
war  scarred  veteran  lago,  does  not  appear:  perhaps  it 
was  an  intuition — a  vague  caution  to  beware  of  his  false 
heart.  At  any  rate,  in  this  case  Othello  acted  aright: 
skill  and  scars  do  not  constitute  the  sole  title  to  prefer- 
ment; a  man  may  have  the  skill  to  work  a  ship  off  a  lee 
shore  in  the  teeth  of  a  living  gale,  and  yet  be  devoid  of 
principle — as  was  lago.  The  deceits  he  practised  could 
be  born  only  of  a  disloyal  brain;  and  no  man  worthy  of 
trust  would  be  guilty  of  them,  even  under  the  goad  of 
grievous  wrong. 

"  Consider,  my  friends :  have  you  never  known  a  similar 
case — where  an  Othello  innocently  incurred  the  enmity 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  287 

of  an  lago,  and  suffered  therefrom  a  host  of  evils:  pro- 
fession of  amity  for  everybody — actual  deception  of  all — 
plots  wherein  those  he  wishes  to  ruin,  should  injure  each 
other;  and  then  he  step  in  and  be  solicitous  for  both  sides — 
a  double  role  of  pretended  friend  and  real  foe?  The 
machinations  of  lago  culminated  in  Othello  killing  his 
wife  in  a  fit  of  jealousy;  but — change  the  conditions — 
apply  them  to  any  persons  similarly  situated — and  the 
traitor  will  always  wreak  his  wrath  upon  his  victim. 

"Shakspere's  works  are  in  the  cabin  library,  and  as 
those  of  you  who  are  not  familiar  with  the  play,  may 
want  to  read  it,  I  will  not  spoil  your  interest  by  further 
comment. 

"Sometimes  a  thin  rivulet  trickles  down  the  mountain 
side:  in  its  course  other  rivulets  join  it — they  become  a 
stream;  more  are  added,  and  all  form  a  torrent  that 
bounds  with  foaming  violence  over  rock  and  boulder  until 
it  reaches  the  plain  below  and  overspreads  it,  destroying 
house  and  haystack,  cattle  and  farm  produce:  so  there  is 
a  fetid  breath  that  blows  through  the  community,  gathers 
volume  and  venom  as  it  circulates,  and  eventually  suf- 
focates its  victim.  This  is  Slander.  At  first  it  is  a  whiff 
of  air  that  merely  stirs  the  foliage — a  whispered  word. 
Little  by  little  it  grows,  gains  strength,  and  spreads  until 
the  whole  forest  is  thrown  into  agitation — a  rumor  that 
passes  from  mouth  to  mouth  and  creates  a  prejudice  in 
every  mind.  Gradually  the  wind  rises,  limbs  are  torn 
from  the  trees,  and  shrubs  are  uprooted — the  venom  is 
on  the  tip  of  every  tongue  and  projects  its  poison  into  every 
ear.  Finally,  the  light  air  has  become  a  whirlwind,  the 
atmosphere  is  a  chaos  of  writhing  objects,  and  the  whole 
prospect  is  gloomy  and  forbidding:  Slander  has  done  its 


288      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

work,  and  only  the  tattered  shreds  of  its  victim's  reputa- 
tion remain — any  one  may  now  have  a  fling  at  him. 

"Moral  assassins  employ  Slander  to  stab  one  they  dis- 
like, or  to  invest  him  with  a  reputation  that  repels;  and 
we  must  fight  the  slanderer  as  we  would  the  ruffian  with 
the  stiletto.  Do  not  attribute  to  God  ills  that  are  put 
upon  us  by  wicked  men;  such  a  creed  would  disarm  us 
of  every  weapon  to  fight  them,  and  reduce  us  to  mere 
passivity  in  all  things — the  plea  of  the  fatalist,  that  it  was 
God's  will.  No,  it  is  not:  it  is  the  machination  of  man. 

"There  never  yet  was  a  body  of  men — civil,  military, 
political,  judicial,  legislative,  or  religious — which  hedged 
itself  round  with  barriers  to  criticism,  but  abused  its 
security.  Freedom  of  Speech  and  freedom  of  the  Press — 
these  are  fundamental  means  for  curbing  arrogance  and 
oppression:  man  is  not  (at  least  in  his  organized  and 
corporate  capacity)  generous  and  just  enough  to  act 
aright  without  check — he  is  too  prone  to  put  the  yoke 
on  those  he  can.  Right,  justice,  honor,  reputation, 
character — all  would  go  down  before  the  attacks  of  men 
if  we  made  no  bold  resistance :  we  must  fight  evil  in  what- 
ever way  or  form  it  assails  us,  and  if  we  fail,  then  we  do 
God's  will  by  patiently  bearing  the  unavoidable  results 
of  that  failure. 

"  Let  me  illustrate  the  torture  a  malicious  lie  can  inflict, 
by  a  little  story  from  the  French : 

"It  was  market-day  in  Goderville,  and  the  farmers 
round  about  were  trooping  to  the  village.  The  square 
was  thronged  with  traffickers  and  animals,  and  a  con- 
fused jumble  of  noises  filled  the  air. 

"An  old  countryman,  Hauchecorne  by  name,  had  just 
arrived  at  the  village,  and  was  going  toward  the  square 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  289 

when  he  saw  a  bit  of  string  on  the  ground :  like  the  thrifty 
Norman  he  was,  he  picked  it  up — it  might  be  good  for 
something. 

"While  rolling  it  up,  to  put  in  his  pocket,  he  noticed 
the  harness  maker,  Melandain,  watching  him  from  his 
shop  door:  formerly,  they  had  some  angry  words  over  a 
halter,  which  left  bad  blood  between  them. 

"Hauchecorne  flushed  at  having  been  seen  by  his 
enemy  picking  up  such  a  trifle:  he  hid  it  quickly  under 
his  blouse — then  put  it  in  his  pocket  and  pretended  to  be 
searching  for  something  on  the  ground:  finally,  he  went 
on  toward  the  market. 

"  The  bell  rang  the  noon  Angelus — the  crowds  dispersed, 
and  many  sought  the  taverns.  At  Jourdain's,  the  large 
dining  room  was  full  of  people :  a  bright  fire  blazed  on  the 
hearth;  fowls  and  quarters  of  lamb  were  roasting  on  turn- 
spits, and  the  trickling  juices  from  the  brown  fat  brought 
the  water  to  many  a  mouth.  The  aristocracy  of  the 
plough  fed  at  Jourdain's:  the  dishes  passed — glasses  were 
filled  and  emptied — gossip  and  news  of  the  farm  circulated 
— and  good  cheer  and  happy  feeling  ran  high. 

"Suddenly  the  roll  of  a  drum  was  heard  in  the  court 
yard — all  went  to  the  door;  and  when  the  rattle  ceased, 
the  public  crier  was  heard  to  announce:  'Know  ye — 
the  people  of  Goderville,  and  in  general,  all  present — 
that  this  morning,  on  the  Beuzeville  road,  about  ten  o'clock, 
a  black  leather  pocket  book  was  lost,  containing  five 
hundred  francs  and  some  valuable  papers.  The  finder 
is  requested  to  bring  it  to  the  Mayor's  office:  a  reward  of 
twenty  francs  will  be  paid.'  He  ceased,  and  went  to 
proclaim  the  loss  in  other  parts  of  the  village,  while  the 
people  returned  to  their  meal. 


290  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"They  had  just  finished  coffee  when  a  policeman 
appeared  at  the  door  and  asked  for  Monsieur  Hauche- 
corne: 

"Here  I  am,'  he  replied,  from  the  far  end  of  the  table. 
6  You  are  wanted  at  the  Mayor's  office,  and  will  please 
accompany  me/  Hauchcorne  followed  the  policeman, 
full  of  surprise  and  uneasiness. 

"Arrived  at  the  office,  what  was  his  astonishment  to 
be  accosted  with  : '  Monsieur  Hauchecorne,  you  were  seen 
this  morning  picking  up  the  pocket  book  lost  by  Monsieur 
Houlebreque.' 

"The  countryman,  dumfounded,  stared  at  the  Mayor: 
the  accusation  worried  him  without  being  able  to  tell  why. 

"'!...!..  picked  up  ...  that .  .  pocket  book  ? ' 

"'Yes — you,  exactly.' 

"'Upon  my  word,  sir,  I  haven't  the  least  knowledge 
of  it.' 

"None  the  less,  you  were  seen  picking  it  up.' 

'' '  I  was  seen ! — by  whom  ? ' 

"Melandain — the  harness  maker.' 

"Then  the  old  man  remembered  and  understood; 
and  reddening  exclaimed:  'O  he  saw  me,  did  he — the 
cunning  fox!  What  he  saw  me  pick  up,  your  honor, 
was  this  bit  of  string';  and  feeling  about  in  his  pocket,  he 
pulled  it  out.  But  the  Mayor  incredulously  shook  his 
head  and  said: 

" '  You  will  never  make  me  believe  that  Monsieur  Melan- 
dain  has  mistaken  this  cord  for  a  pocket  book.' 

"The  countryman,  now  furious,  raised  his  hand,  spat 
one  side  to  emphasize  his  words,  and  said, 

"'It  is  indeed  God's  truth — the  exact  truth,  your 
Honor:  upon  my  soul  it  is.' 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  291 

"But  the  Mayor  continued:  *  After  picking  up  the 
pocket  book,  you  even  searched  in  the  mud,  to  see  if  some 
of  the  money  hadn't  fallen  out/  Choking  with  indigna- 
tion and  apprehension,  the  poor  countryman  exclaimed, 

"'And  to  think  one  can  utter  such  lies — lies  like  that 
to  injure  an  honest  man :  'tis  monstrous ! ' 

"Further  denial  was  useless:  he  was  confronted  with 
Melandain — both  men  heaped  abuse  on  each  other — 
Hauchecorne  was  searched  (at  his  own  request),  but 
of  course  nothing  was  found,  and  he  was  discharged. 

"On  going  out,  he  was  surrounded  by  a  group  of 
gossipers:  he  told  his  story — they  sneered — didn't  believe 
him.  As  he  went  along,  he  stopped  every  one  he  knew, 
retold  his  tale — pulled  his  pockets  inside  out — but  they 
only  turned  upon  him  an  incredulous  look,  as  if  to  say, 
'Sly  old  man!'  He  grew  more  angry — exasperated. 

"Night  came:  on  returning  home  with  some  com- 
panions, he  pointed  out  the  place  where  he  found  the  bit 
of  string  and  talked  of  the  incident  all  the  way. 

"  The  next  day  the  pocket  book  was  found  and  returned 
to  the  owner:  the  news  spread,  and  Hauchecorne  was  told 
of  it.  Immediately  he  made  the  rounds  and  related 
his  story,  and  it  gave  him  some  relief:  still,  his  mind  was 
not  wholly  at  ease — people  seemed  to  make  fun  of  him; 
they  did  not  appear  convinced.  He  went  to  Goderville 
solely  to  tell  it:  his  enemy  was  in  the  doorway  as  before, 
and  began  to  laugh  as  he  passed. 

"  He  went  to  the  Tavern  Jourdain,  and  began  explaining 
the  matter,  but  was  cut  short  with,  'Come,  come,  old 
man — we  know  it,  your  bit  of  string!' 

"Hauchecorne  stammered,  'It  has  been  found — that 
pocket  book!'  But  the  other  replied,  'O  that's  all  very 


292  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

well;  but  things  can  be  found  and  things  can  be  returned 
when  one  is  neither  seen  nor  known,  and  then  one  is  not 
mixed  up  in  the  affair.' 

"The  poor  man  was  astounded — he  understood  at 
last:  he  was  accused  of  having  the  pocket  book  brought 
back  by  an  accomplice!  He  was  anxious  to  refute  it, 
but  the  whole  table  broke  into  mocking  laughter,  and  he 
couldn't  finish  either  his  explanation  or  his  dinner,  so  he 
got  up  and  went  out  amidst  jeers. 

"  He  returned  home  full  of  shame  and  indignation. 

"He  exhausted  his  strength  in  useless  efforts  to  right 
himself,  and  grew  ill  under  the  strain. 

"The  habitual  jokers  now  made  him  relate  the  story 
for  amusement,  just  as  one  urges  an  old  soldier  to  tell 
his  tale  of  the  wars. 

"At  length  his  mind  gave  way — he  broke  down  alto- 
gether, and  died  a  maniac,  protesting  his  innocence  in 
ravings : 

"'Une  'tite  ficelle  .  .  .  .  une  'tite  ficelle  .  .  .  t'nez,  la 
voila,  m'sieu  le  maire!' 

"And  so,  by  the  adroit  use  of  a  trifling  incident — the 
picking  up  of  a  bit  of  string — the  ruin  of  an  honest  man 
was  accomplished.  It  is  painfully  typical  of  much  that 
occurs  about  us  in  every  condition  of  life. 

"There  is  one  great  historical  case  in  which  slander 
and  treachery  combined  to  destroy  a  noble  life — I  mean 
the  beautiful  French  maiden,  Jeanne  d*  Arc.  Men  of 
many  nations  have  written  of  her,  mostly  in  eulogy  and 
nearly  all  with  admiration  and  respect  for  the  kindly, 
truthful,  courageous  nature  she  possessed:  it  remained 
for  one  of  her  own  countrymen — Voltaire,  to  vilify  her; 
for  another — the  infamous  Cauchon,  to  prove  treacherous 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  293 

to  her;  and  for  still  more,  to  condemn  and  burn  her  at  the 
stake:  but  a  Michelet  arose  to  redeem  the  name  of  France; 
and  in  our  own  day,  an  author  of  alien  race  and  opposite 
antecedents — Lord  Ronald  Gower,  has  chivalrously  told 
her  story  with  a  fairness,  clearness,  and  temperateness 
that  must  carry  conviction  to  every  reasonable  mind. 

"  Craft  and  cunning  are  the  traits — the  sores  that  gather 
head  and  break  out  in  treachery  and  calumny;  and  they 
generally  succeed  in  their  endeavor — Why?  Because 
'A  man  in  the  right  relies  on  his  rectitude,  and  therefore 
goes  about  unarmed.  A  man  in  the  wrong  knows  that 
he  must  look  to  his  weapons — his  very  weakness  is  his 
strength.  The  one  is  never  prepared  for  combat — the 
other  is  always  ready.' 

"The  fox  outwits  the  hunter,  and  the  cat  purrs  herself 
into  caressing  strokes:  both  are  wily  to  the  bone,  and 
have  been  sketched  by  a  master  hand — the  cat  with  her 
soft  walk,  putting  each  foot  forward  with  precaution, 
eyes  half  closed,  observing  everything,  yet  appearing  to 
see  nothing.  If  you  sit  down,  she  will  come  with  supple 
movement  and  gently  rub  against  you  while  intimating 
her  quest  with  a  flattering  purr — not  asking  it  openly 
like  the  frank  dog  who  barks  for  his  bone.  The  smooth, 
little  hypocrite! — you  would  take  her  for  the  personifica- 
tion of  good  nature,  were  it  not  for  her  two  rows  of  teeth, 
sharp  as  a  saw,  and  the  receding  chin  so  characteristic  of 
a  liar. 

"  The  fox,  on  the  other  hand,  has  not  the  pious  perfidy 
of  the  cat:  his  long  fine  muzzle  and  bright,  intelligent  eye 
denote  a  rogue,  but  a  rogue  of  quality :  he  is  alert  and  quick 
and  one  can  easily  see  that  he  does  not  loll  in  his  burrow 
to  await  the  coming  of  the  fat  hen.  Still,  he  has  not  the 


294      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

vanity  of  courage — he  would  rather  win  by  ruse. 

"But  all  cats  and  foxes  haven't  four  legs  and  a  furry 
tail — some  walk  erect:  and  more  of  the  human  species 
possess  the  traits  of  other  animals — for  instance,  the 
man  with  a  heavy  lower  jaw,  projecting  teeth,  scowl  of 
a  bull-dog,  and  compact  stocky  frame;  and  he  makes 
his  way  through  life  much  as  his  canine  prototype  does — 
growling,  snapping,  looking  ferocious,  and  scarcely  using 
his  human  faculties. 

"  If  ever  you  spent  much  time  on  a  farm,  you  must  have 
seen  how  oxen  yoked  together  often  pull  apart — their 
strength  is  wasted  tugging  at  the  bond  that  unites  them, 
rather  than  in  drawing  the  load :  they  are  merely  animals, 
and  follow  the  animal  instinct.  But  reasoning  man 
sometimes  exerts  equally  vain  efforts — the  lieutenant 
often  pulls  as  blindly  apart  from  his  captain;  both  are 
on  the  same  ship:  that  cannot  be  helped;  but  what  the 
beast  of  the  field  cannot  do,  the  man  on  the  ship  can — 
he  need  not  waste  his  strength  in  futile  endeavor,  but 
recognize  that  there  must  be  a  head  to  contrive — to 
organize — to  care  for;  and  that  these  efforts  should  not 
be  frustrated  by  spiteful  acts  prompted  by  some  imaginary 
grievance  or  even  real  harshness;  but  that  the  success  of 
command,  and  the  happiness  of  all  will  be  best  served  by 
a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull  all  together. 

"There  are  grades — superior  and  subordinate — in 
every  organization;  and  this,  of  necessity,  implies  one  at 
the  head  of  all — a  Captain  in  command.  'Take  but 
degree  away — untune  that  string,  and  hark,  what  discord 
follows!'  It  is  the  dastardly,  malevolent  railing  of  a 
Thersites  to  satisfy  some  petty  grievance;  *  whose  gall 
coins  slander  like  a  mint*  coins  money:  the  Captain  as  a 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  295 

result  is  'disdained  by  him  one  step  below — he,  by  the 
next — that  next  by  him  beneath,  and  so  every  step,'  until 
insubordination  is  rife  and  the  whole  crew  is  on  the  verge 
of  mutiny. 

"I  have  made  some  trips  at  sea;  and  when  on  board 
ship,  I  go  among  the  men  and  try  to  learn  their  moods 
and  feelings:  I  therefore  know  somewhat  of  the  sailor. 
His  lot  is  full  of  hard  work  and  bad  food ;  but  it  is  mitigated 
by  variety  of  scene  and  his  general  freedom  from  restraint 
(for  such  is  the  case,  however  it  may  seem  to  the  contrary), 
by  the  ensured  provision  for  the  morrow,  and  by  the 
absence  of  many  cares  that  worry  the  man  ashore.  Be- 
sides, all  is  not  suavity  and  freedom  on  shore:  the  man 
whose  next  meal  depends  on  his  labor,  has  to  put  up  with 
many  a  curt  word  and  much  harsh  treatment :  he  can  go — 
yes,  he  can  throw  up  his  job  in  a  temper,  or  under  the 
spur  of  injustice;  but  his  stomach  will  crave  food  and  his 
children  want  clothes,  and  these  are  powerful  curbs  on 
his  freedom  of  action.  Then  there  are  the  tyrannical 
rules  of  the  Trade-union,  the  threat  of  work  failing,  and 
the  arrogant  walking  delegate  forever  stirring  up  strife — 
all  galling  fetters  on  his  liberty. 

"The  sailor  has  none  of  these;  and  if  he  behaves  him- 
self, he  need  scarcely  feel  his  restrictions:  but  often  in  his 
midst  there  is  the  breeder  of  trouble — the  speaking 
trumpet  for  all  the  petty  grievances  on  board — the  treacher- 
ous subordinate  who  slights  work  and  ridicules  an  order 
to  please  men  already  in  a  morbid  state  of  dissatisfaction. 

"In  the  Island  of  Java  there  is  a  famous  Poison  Valley: 
it  is  oval  in  shape — a  thousand  feet  across  and  thirty  feet 
deep,  with  a  bare  flat  bottom;  this  is  strewn  with  the 
skeletons  of  human  beings,  tigers,  pigs,  dogs,  deer,  and 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


every  kind  of  bird — all  bleached  to  the  whiteness  of  ivory. 

"Why  this  desolation?  They  ventured  within  reach 
of  its  noxious  gases,  and  met  instant  death.  And  such — 
death  of  joy,  cheerfulness,  and  contentment — will  be  the 
fate  of  those  on  board  ship  who  yield  to  the  baneful  in- 
fluence of  a  crafty,  cunning  person,  be  he  mate  or  seaman. 

"  But  the  traitor  in  any  form  finally  comes  to  grief, 
while  ever  being  suspected  and  despised:  the  high  priests 
said  to  Judas  when  he  repented — 'what  is  that  to  us, 
look  thou  to  it;  and  casting  down  the  pieces  of  silver  in 
the  temple,  he  departed  and  went  and  hanged  himself 
with  a  halter';  Cauchon  met  a  speedy  and  violent  death 
loathed  by  all,  without  even  receiving  the  reward  for  which 
he  bartered  his  soul;  Benedict  Arnold  everywhere  met 
with  contempt  until  he  died  in  obloquy  and  shame;  and 
the  fictitious  lago,  true  to  life,  was  made  to  suffer  torture 
and  loathing  without  the  attainment  of  his  ends. 

"Well  may  we  exclaim  with  the  fireworshipper  mad- 
dened by  the  treachery  of  a  trusted  comrade : 

'  Oh  for  a  tongue  to  curse  the  slave 

Whose  treason,  like  a  deadly  blight, 
Comes  o'er  the  councils  of  the  brave 

And  blasts  them  in  their  hour  of  might! 
May  Life's  unblessed  cup  for  him 

Be  drugg'd  with  treach'ries  to  the  brim — 
With  hopes,  that  but  allure  to  fly; 

With  joys,  that  vanish  while  he  sips; 
Like  Dead  Sea  fruits,  that  tempt  the  eye, 

But  turn  to  ashes  on  the  lips! 
His  country's  curse,  his  children's  shame, 

Outcast  of  virtue,  peace  and  fame, 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  297 

*  May  he,  at  last,  with  lips  of  flame, 

On  the  parch 'd  desert  thirsting  die — 
While  lakes,  that  shone  in  mockery  nigh, 

Are  fading  off,  untouch'd,  untasted, 
Like  the  once  glorious  hopes  he  blasted! 

And  when  from  earth  his  spirit  flies, 
Just  Prophet,  let  the  damn'd  one  dwell 

Full  in  the  sight  of  Paradise, 
Beholding  heav'n,  and  feeling  hell!" 

Port  Famine,  Patagonia. 

As  usual,  the  ship  got  underway  at  daylight  from 
Glacier  Bay,  and  proceeded  eastward  through  the  straits. 
At  two  o'clock  she  passed  Cape  Fro  ward,  so  named  from 
its  characteristic — a  bold,  high,  headland  projecting  sheer 
from  the  water  with  the  aggressive  front  of  a  mastiff: 
otherwise,  its  appearance  is  pleasing,  being  covered  with 
rich,  fresh  vegetation.  It  is  the  most  southerly  point  of 
the  continent,  for  Tierra  del  Fuego  and  all  else  south  of 
Cape  Froward  are  islands. 

Cape  Froward  was  the  turning  point  of  the  Wenonah's 
passage — she  was  then  at  her  greatest  distance  from  New 
York,  5682  miles  in  a  direct  line,  but  much  more  by  the 
route  she  must  take  in  quest  of  favorable  winds. 

A  wintry  scene  of  snow-capped  peaks,  glaciers,  and 
waterfalls;  with  a  mixture  of  sunshine,  squalls,  wind, 
and  gloom  characterized  this  day's  run.  In  the  evening 
the  ship  anchored  in  Port  Famine — a  name  ominous  of 
hungry  pangs  to  early  mariners  dependent  on  what  they 
carried  for  subsistance;  but  now  robbed  of  its  terrors 
by  the  neighboring  port  of  Punta  Arenas,  where  supplies 
of  all  kinds  can  be  had:  the  Wenonah  was  to  reach  it  on 


298      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  morrow.  Around  the  anchorage  the  shores  were 
desolate  and  inhospitable — not  a  house,  only  a  few  trees 
and  some  scant  verdure,  and  everything  in  keeping  with 
the  name,  Port  Famine. 

The  evening,  at  least,  was  delightful  and  fresh;  and  after 
dinner  the  party  gathered  on  the  poop  to  enjoy  it.  After 
a  period  of  silence,  Northrup  said : 

"Brooks,  ever  since  your  discourse  on  the  cycles  in 
natural  phenomena,  I  have  been  chasing  your  name 
through  my  memory —  it  is  familiar,  and  yet  I  cannot 
recall  any  person  who  bore  it:  perhaps  it  was  an  author 
whose  book  I  read  a  few  years  ago — Facts  and  Theories 
of  Science — do  you  know  the  work  ?" 

"Yes;  I  wrote  it." 

"You!  well,  my  dear  fellow,  let  me  grasp  your  hand 
with  all  the  gratitude  I  feel  for  the  information  it  afforded 
me  in  a  dire  situation :  I  had  a  case  in  the  Admiralty  Court 
in  which  the  errors  of  the  compass  played  an  important 
part.  Upon  taking  up  the  case,  I  found  I  should  be  all 
at  sea  without  some  knowledge  of  the  matters  involved. 
I  consulted  the  books :  one  was  too  mathematical ;  another 
too  diffuse;  a  third  too  technical;  and  a  fourth  a  mere 
catechism,  dry  question  and  answer  without  a  thread 
of  explanation  running  through  them.  I  was  in  despair 
(for  the  case  was  important)  when  I  chanced  upon  your 
book.  The  type  was  large  and  legible,  the  illustrations 
clear  and  artistic,  the  paper  good,  and  the  division  of 
the  subject  into  parts,  chapters,  sections,  and  paragraphs 
such  that  I  could  see  at  a  glance  what  was  treated  in  each : 
I  was  attracted  by  its  make-up — looked  for  what  I  wanted 
— found  it — read  it — and  had  the  satisfaction  of  being 
able  to  conduct  my  case  with  a  knowledge  of  compass 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  299 

errors,  courses,  deviations,  soundings,  tides,  and  currents, 
that  made  the  old  skippers  on  the  witness  stand  think 
me  one  of  their  guild  turned  sea  lawyer  for  the  nonce. 

"Later,  I  had  another  case,  in  which  the  rights  to  a 
patent  for  an  electrical  contrivance  was  the  question  at 
issue.  I  turned  to  your  book  and  found  that  the  chapter 
on  electricity  and  magnetism  afforded  all  the  theory  and 
facts  I  needed  for  coping  intelligently  with  the  experts 
in  the  science. 

"Subsequently,  without  any  special  need  for  it,  I  read 
the  parts  dealing  with  other  branches,  and  found  the 
whole  so  clear  and  concise — giving  just  what  the  average 
man  wants  to  know,  that  I  consider  it  an  excellent  epitome 
of  the  subjects  treated.  But  how  came  you  to  write  it — 
I  thought  your  bent  was  general  literature?" 

"Well,"  answered  Brooks,  "my  taste  has  always  really 
been  for  mathematics  and  the  physical  sciences.  When 
I  left  high  school,  I  had  a  little  tendency  and  some  aptitude 
for  an  occupation  that  I  followed  for  a  few  years:  then 
I  discovered  that  my  strongest  inclination  lay  in  another 
direction — writing,  so  I  took  it  up;  but  during  all  this 
time,  whatever  the  work  for  self-support,  I  spent  my  spare 
hours  on  my  favorite  studies.  I  bought  the  latest  standard 
works,  read  them,  and  made  notes  of  the  parts  that 
interested  me,  with  reference  to  book  and  page.  I  also 
made  notes  of  such  of  my  own  ideas  as  I  thought  worth 
preserving;  and  from  both  sources  you  can  readily  imagine 
that  during  many  years  I  accumulated  a  large  mass  of 
them:  their  number  would  astonish  you — it  ran  into  the 
thousands. 

"Now,  I  am  no  advocate  of  study  solely  for  its  own 
sake,  however  beneficial  or  gratifying  that  may  be  to  the 


300      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

individual;  the  mere  accumulation  of  knowledge  without 
use,  is  little  better  than  hoarding  money:  it  is  the  talent 
put  away  for  safe  keeping — it  should  be  abroad,  circulating 
in  useful  channels — gaining  brightness  by  attrition. 

"I  early  conceived  the  general  project  of  my  book,  but 
when  it  came  to  put  pen  to  paper,  I  found  the  outline 
wanting  in  definiteness:  where  should  I  begin — how 
classify  the  material  ?  The  first  sifting  bore  little  resem- 
blance to  the  final  arrangement;  but  it  served  as  a  skeleton 
on  which  to  dispose  the  matter  tentatively.  Then  fol- 
lowed plan  after  plan,  each  expanded  beyond  its  pre- 
decessor and  more  definite  in  shape,  with  a  regrouping 
of  the  notes  to  correspond,  until  eventually  the  order  as 
published  (with  little  variation  while  writing  the  manu- 
script), was  reached;  and  then  the  notes  for  each  part, 
even  for  each  chapter — nay,  more,  for  every  section,  were 
gathered  in  bundles  by  themselves :  the  subdivision  of  the 
subject  was  put  to  paper — titles  given  to  part,  chapter, 
and  section;  and  I  was  prepared  to  begin  the  manuscript. 

"Before  writing  any  portion,  I  examined  all  the  notes 
relating  to  it  and  consulted  the  books  bearing  on  the 
subject:  where  authorities  agreed,  I  took  the  point  as 
established ;  where  they  differed,  I  considered  the  evidence 
on  both  sides,  and  from  it  inferred  the  most  probable 
approach  to  the  truth.  Thus,  having  the  matter  in  mind, 
I  framed  its  expression  in  my  own  language.  Though 
in  a  measure  a  compilation,  it  is  not  at  all  such  in  the 
usual  sense  of  the  word — the  matter  is  cast  in  a  fresh 
mould,  with  a  vein  of  original  thought  running  through  it. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  say  that  it  gives  what  the 
average  man  wants  to  know — that  was  the  object  I  had  in 
view.  Technical  terms  are  not  frequent — used  only 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  301 

where  the  common  language  would  not  avail,  and  even 
then  they  are  explained :  the  accuracy  of  the  facts  is  in  no 
wise  lessened  by  describing  them  in  the  language  of  daily 
life.  I  did  not  hesitate  at  simile  or  metaphor  of  familiar 
events — such  do  not  detract  from  the  dignity  of  the  sub- 
ject, while  impressing  more  forcibly  the  point  elucidated. 
Now  this  manner  of  treatment  is  not  the  usual  way — the 
critic  or  narrow  professional  man  would  decry  it:  indeed 
the  more  technical  the  style,  the  more  these  gentry  extol 
it — it  keeps  up  the  mystery  of  their  craft,  thickens  the  veil 
that  enshrouds  their  dicta,  and  impresses  the  multitude." 

"  Few  realize,"  said  Northrup  when  Brooks  had  finished, 
"  what  a  labor  it  must  be  to  write  a  book ;  and  fewer  still, 
I  presume,  appreciate  the  labor  bestowed  on  yours,  it 
reads  so  naturally — flowing  as  easily  from  the  pen  as  your 
namesake  the  brook  ripples  over  its  pebbly  bed." 

"Ah!"  replied  Brooks,  "that  very  naturalness  as  well 
as  the  clearness  and  conciseness  are  the  result  of  going 
over  every  page  again  and  again — adding,  cutting  out, 
substituting — scrutinizing  from  the  point  of  view  of  the 
scientist,  the  grammarian,  the  rhetorician,  and  the  general 
reader  for  whom  it  was  written." 

"Did  you  have  any  difficulty  in  getting  it  published?" 
asked  Northrup. 

"  Indeed,  I  did ;  and  succeeded  only  after  many  rebuffs 
— the  usual  phrase,  *  Not  available  for  our  purpose/ 

"  If  the  work  were  by  a  well  known  man  in  science,  or 
some  college  professor,  it  would  be  readily  accepted;  but 
the  vaunted  judging  of  manuscript  on  its  merits  alone  is 
a  myth:  publishers,  one  and  all,  are  loth  to  venture  on  a 
new  writer. 

"And  yet,  name — notoriety — an  entity  that  multitudes 


302      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

look  up  to,  often  carries  with  it  through  mere  inertia  of 
reputation,  many  a  mediocre  book,  as  well  as  many  another 
that  is  little  more  than  a  duplicate  of  what  the  author 
has  already  written.  If  a  novel,  the  similarity  runs  so 
glaringly  through  plot  and  person  that  an  observant 
reader,  like  a  skillful  chess  player,  can  see  many  moves 
ahead — even  the  denouement:  it  is  like  the  turkey  which 
first  comes  on  the  table  as  a  crisp,  juicy  roast;  the  next 
day,  the  carcass  (well  stripped  of  meat)  is  served  up  cold; 
the  third  day,  the  gristle,  thews,  and  sinews  have  degen- 
erated into  hash  on  toast;  and  finally,  the  bones  givem  a 
slight  flavor  to  a  thin  soup. 

"  But  the  replica  novel  in  all  stages  of  decadence  usually 
sells  well — it  takes  time  for  the  reading  cormorants  to 
discriminate;  and  meanwhile  the  popular  writer  finds 
sale  for  his  phrases,  and  the  publisher  reaps  a  harvest. 

"And  the  publisher  must  always  see  his  profit  well  in 
sight  ere  he  will  touch  a  manuscript.  For  this  reason, 
scientific  books  (which  are  read  by  comparatively  few) — 
books  upon  which  years  of  thought  and  study  have  been 
bestowed — have  a  hard  struggle  to  get  into  print;  while 
the  flimsy  novel,  well  peppered  with  slang,  which  is  put 
together  in  a  few  months  (and  devoured  by  the  thousand), 
is  readily  accepted — nay,  even  eagerly  sought :  it  is  a  '  best 
seller'  with  the  aid  of  extravagant  advertising." 
Punta  Arenas,  Patagonia. 

This  place,  as  its  Spanish  name  signifies,  is  a  sandy 
point,  extending  out  into  the  Straits:  the  anchorage  has  a 
sandy  bottom,  and  is  therefore  poor  holding  ground — 
ships  generally  drag  in  a  heavy  blow.  The  village  is  a 
Chilian  settlement  built  on  a  plain  gradually  rising  to  a 
background  of  hills.  Fresh  beef  and  mutton  are  abundant 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  303 

and  very  cheap,  but  the  quality  is  not  stall-fed.  Canned 
supplies  of  all  kinds  are  plentiful,  but  command  high 
prices :  they  are  brought  from  the  United  States  or  Europe. 
Steamers  of  many  nationalities — English,  French,  German, 
Spanish,  Italian,  Brazilian,  and  Chilian  stop  here  on  their 
way  to  and  from  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  so  that  there  is 
almost  daily  communication  with  one  of  the  great  ports 
of  the  world.  Thus  it  happened  that  the  day  the  Wenonah 
arrived,  a  steamer  en  route  for  Lisbon  touched  at  Punta 
Arenas;  and  a  mail  was  despatched  which  had  been  in 
course  of  preparation  during  the  passage  from  Callao: 
in  this  mail  went  two  letters  from  Jacob  Hawse  to  his 
friend  Bain  in  the  shipping  house  of  Alec  Campbell  & 
Co.,  owners  of  the  Wenonah:  one  of  the  letters  (already 
known  to  the  reader)  was  written  at  Port  Otway,  and 
the  other  was  as  follows : 

AMERICAN  SHIP  WENONAH, 
SANDY  POINT. 

Friend  Bain:  This  is  the  last  letter  I'll  write  you,  for 
we  ought  reach  New  York  soon  after  any  mail  from 
another  port  could  get  there;  and  yet  I  don't  know  about 
that  either — we're  only  crawling  like  a  crab:  such  infernal 
dawdling  I  never  saw;  but  it's  the  way  they  have  in  the 
Navy,  for  you  know  Colburn  spent  some  time  in  the 
Service. 

Instead  of  standing  down  the  coast  till  he  got  to  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  and  then  coming  through  under 
steam  and  sail  before  a  stiff  breeze,  he  cut  in  at  the  narrow 
channels  and  wasted  a  week  in  a  rail-fence  route  through 
them — a  kind  of  personally  conducted  tour  to  show  a  few 
passengers  the  scenery  of  Patagonia:  why,  we  tied  up 
every  night,  like  a  canal  boat,  in  one  of  the  small  harbors; 


304  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  sometimes  had  to  send  out  a  line  astern  to  keep  the 
ship  from  swinging  on  to  the  beach.  Then  up  every 
morning  at  four  o'clock  to  get  underway,  and  during  the 
day  I  had  to  be  always  about  to  look  out  for  the  ship's 
work  as  well  as  dangers  along  our  route:  'tis  wearing  on 
a  fellow,  and  I'm  worn  out,  as  I  haven't  spared  myself. 

I  must  tell  you  of  a  ridiculous  scene  that  took  place  in 
the  English  Narrows — a  small  bend  in  one  of  the  channels 
which  a  western  river  pilot  would  tackle  in  the  dark. 
Well,  we  got  there  one  evening  in  time  to  go  through, 
but  no — we  must  wait  until  the  next  day  to  give  the  skipper 
time  to  get  up  the  stage  effect — to  prepare  for  all  kinds 
of  accidents.  I  was  heartily  ashamed  of  having  to  take 
part  in  the  performance.  We  provided  for  everything 
except  burying  the  dead ;  but  we  had  a  boat  ready  to  pick 
a  man  up  if  he  fell  overboard ;  we  had  the  relieving  tackles 
hooked  if  the  wheel-ropes  parted — sail  loosed  in  case  the 
engine  broke  down — light  yards  and  masts  on  deck  for 
hurricane  weather — men  and  officers  at  hand  in  all  parts 
of  the  ship,  ready  to  do  something  at  any  mishap — and  all 
for  a  run  of  a  mile !  Such  fear  of  trouble  I  never  saw. 

Of  course  nothing  happened:  we  went  through  as  easy 
as  if  we  were  on  the  broad  ocean,  although  before  entering 
the  Narrows  Colburn  put  the  ship  through  her  paces — 
hard  a  port — steady — hard  a  starboard,  in  order  to  have 
her  know  how  to  do  it  in  the  bend,  as  if  she  hadn't  been 
doing  it  all  the  way  from  Frisco.  O  it  would  be  laughable 
if  it  were  not  such  a  pitiable  mockery  of  seagoing,  as  well 
as  a  loss  of  time  and  money  to  the  owners. 

Since  we've  been  in  the  channels,  we've  had  a  continuous 
moral  performance — lectures,  if  you  please!  O  the 
branch  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  is  flourishing!  The  chief 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  305 

preacher  is  that  sea-lawyer  Northmp  I  mentioned  in 
another  letter.  The  other  night  his  talk  was  all  about 
treachery,  insubordination,  and  slander;  and  if  some  of 
this  crew  don't  one  day  turn  pirate,  it  won't  be  for  lack 
of  knowing  how.  It  is  just  like  the  dime  novel:  I  don't 
suppose  they're  written  to  teach  burglary  and  murder, 
but  the  effect  of  reading  them  is  crime  all  the  same.  And 
so  Northrup  described  all  the  sources  of  discontent  on  board 
ship  so  accurately,  that  now  they  know  how  to  create  it. 
Why,  he  got  the  Italians  of  the  crew  wild  with  enthusiasm 
by  reciting  in  their  own  lingo  the  way  the  high  villain  in 
the  opera  does  his  work ! 

If  one  of  these  Neapolitan  mafias  don't  cut  my  throat 
before  reaching  New  York,  I'll  be  fortunate.  O  'tis  a 
fine  mess  the  ship  is  in!  And  that  man  Colburn  don't 
see  that  it's  all  due  to  those  passengers  making  use  of  the 
men  for  their  own  amusement.  I've  a  hard  time  to  keep 
my  end  up  and  get  work  out  of  the  men.  They're  cheeky, 
and  talk  back,  if  I  let  them;  but  I  won't — I'll  stand  up 
for  my  authority  on  board  while  there's  a  drop  of  blood 
in  my  veins,  and  they'll  find  I  know  what  discipline  is, 
if  Colburn  doesn't. 

Your  friend 

JACOB  HAWSE, 

First  Mate. 

Truly,  facts  can  be  distorted  and  colored  so  as  to  give 
a  wholly  untrue  account  of  an  event! 

The  First  Mate  had  been  steadily  losing  ground :  when 
Ned  Gower  flung  him  contemptuously  to  the  deck  in 
the  presence  of  the  watch,  they  saw  at  once  that  he  was 
really  of  common  clay;  and  nowhere  more  quickly  than 
on  board  ship  does  the  fallen  idol — or  bully — fail  of  wor- 


306      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

ship.  The  men  went  as  far  in  their  disrespect  as  they 
dared,  because  they  knew  that  the  Mate  feared  to  punish 
them  or  report  their  conduct  to  the  Captain. 

Hawse's  course,  therefore,  had  been  one  of  mollification: 
while  they  were  in  the  channels,  he  tried  to  win  over  one 
after  another  of  the  weaklings  by  gifts  of  food  from  his 
storeroom ;  but  these  availed  not  with  those  he  most  sought 
to  win.  Besides,  the  little  diversions  of  the  passengers 
were  weaning  the  men  from  the  mood  of  discontent  the 
Mate  had  worked  so  successfully  during  the  early  part 
of  the  passage,  so  that  this  vein  was  tending  toward  ex- 
haustion even  when  Northrup  brought  it  suddenly  to 
bed  rock  by  his  exposure  of  the  vicious  influences  on  board 
ship.  The  men  saw  it — saw  how  they  had  been  duped 
by  Hawse:  they  talked  about  past  incidents  and  recalled 
many  which  now  seemed  to  have  been  specially  devised 
by  the  Mate  to  discredit  the  Captain  in  their  eyes.  The 
pendulum  was  in  danger  of  swinging  to  the  other  extreme 
— the  men  were  indignant  and  angry  for  having  been 
tricked  so  badly,  and  they  took  their  resentment  out  on 
Hawse  by  scowls  and  sullen  words  and  slovenly  work 
wherever  he  was  concerned;  and  they  made  this  conduct 
more  conspicuous  by  being  quick  and  alert  to  obey  every 
order  of  the  Boatswain. 

It  was  in  this  painful  situation — full  of  insubordination 
and  without  the  means  to  correct  it — that  the  First  Mate 
pondered  what  he  should  do.  Resources  ? — he  had  none  : 
appeal  to  the  Captain? — he  was  ashamed.  He  knew 
what  he  would  do — he  would  get  some  rum  and  dole  it 
out  in  seductive  doses:  he  knew  well  its  power  over  the 
sailor — a  bait  he  would  bite  at  through  any  obstruction — 
would  obtain  through  any  artifice.  He  had  seen  it  smug- 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  307 

gled  on  board  in  small  skins  fastened  to  the  body;  and 
also  towed  off  in  bottles  by  means  of  a  string  secured 
to  the  boats.  He  had  seen  men  full  of  the  bile,  the  ugly 
temper,  the  low  bravado  begotten  of  drink:  he  had  seen 
them  thrown  to  the  deck  and  gagged  with  swabs  to  stifle 
the  ribald  tirade  with  which  they  filled  the  harbor.  And 
he  had  seen  others,  bereft  of  conscious  action,  writhe 
and  groan  in  an  unsightly  mass  on  the  deck  under  the 
maddening  sting  of  some  fiery  adulteration.  He  knew 
well  the  demoralization — the  feeling  of  apprehension, 
unrest,  and  insecurity — the  loosening  of  all  restraint — 
the  surging  to  the  surface  of  all  the  brutal,  mutinous 
impulses  that  drunkenness  begets  on  a  ship.  Drunken- 
ness ashore  means  little  compared  with  drunkenness 
aboard:  on  shore,  there  are  jails,  and  the  culprit  may  be 
caged  out  of  sight  and  sound;  but  on  board,  the  bestiality 
cannot  be  secluded  from  eye  and  ear:  the  community  is 
small,  the  quarters  cramped,  and  the  enraged  beast, 
though  chained,  is  in  the  midst  of  his  daily  companions, 
inciting  them  to  frenzy  by  wild  howlings.  It  is  horrible — 
a  drunken  crew!  Not  to  look  at  alone,  but  in  the  dreadful 
feeling  of  apprehension  and  upheaval  it  spreads  through- 
out the  ship.  And  even  when  the  worst  has  passed  and 
apparent  regularity  is  restored,  there  is  still  the  aftermath: 
all  feel  that  the  established  order  has  been  rudely  wrenched 
— that  a  foundation  stone  has  been  torn  away,  and  that 
the  edifice  of  discipline  totters.  The  curbed  animal  has 
taken  the  bit  and  run  wild,  and  it  will  be  hard  to  bridle  it 
again.  All  this,  Jacob  Hawse  well  knew;  yet  it  did  not 
deter  him  from  going  ashore  and  buying  some  fiery  liquor 
which  might  one  day  produce  similar  effects  among  the 
crew  of  the  Wenonah.  True,  it  was  not  his  intention 


308  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

to  make  them  drunk,  but  only  give  them  a  tot  now  and 
then  to  warm  their  hearts  toward  him;  but  with  the 
temptation  at  hand — the  poisonous  spring  once  tapped — 
who  could  guarantee  that  it  would  not  overflow  all 
bounds  ? 

When  a  sailor  has  been  aloft  reefing,  which  is  always 
in  stormy  weather;  when  he  has  tugged  through  blinding 
rain  and  cutting  wind  at  wet  sails  bellying  out  with  every 
blast  beyond  his  grasp,  his  hands  galled  from  hauling  on 
the  weather  earing  or  tying  reef  points;  and  he  is  in  that 
exhausted  condition  which  a  little  stimulant  will  restore 
to  vigor — then  a  glass  of  whiskey  goes  to  the  right  spot: 
it  makes  the  blood  tingle  and  infuses  good  feeling  toward 
all — especially  toward  the  giver.  These  should  be  the 
moments  Hawse  would  seize  to  secure  his  prey — first 
cautiously,  and  with  the  victim  he  knew  to  be  most  athirst 
— who  would  smack  his  lips  and  go  tell  the  good  news; 
then  others  would  be  tempted,  and  still  more,  until  even 
the  Boatswain  should  be  ensnared;  he  knew  Gower  could 
not  long  resist  the  one  vice  that  kept  him  at  sea,  and 
which  if  freed  from,  he  could  easily  earn  a  good  living 
ashore  and  be  a  respectable  member  of  any  community. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  if  the  Mate  contemplated 
giving  the  men  a  drink  only  at  times  of  great  hardship, 
little  could  be  said  against  it:  the  whole  life  at  sea  is  rough 
and  rugged  beyond  anything  ashore;  the  food  is  generally 
inadequate  to  the  strain  put  upon  the  man;  and  the 
frequency  of  storms  with  their  exhausting  work,  requires 
something  more  than  the  customary  ration  to  renew 
strength,  restore  spirits,  and  give  zest  to  life.  Nothing 
will  do  this  like  a  glass  of  whiskey;  and  the  most  that  can 
be  said  against  it,  is,  that  it  is  likely  to  beget  the  habit 


IN  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  309 

of  drink:  if  it  could  be  given  only  in  times  of  need,  it  would 
be  a  benefit — banish  the  depression  that  comes  from  a 
hard  struggle  with  wind  and  wave.  But  the  Mate  was 
not  a  philanthropist;  he  had  solely  in  mind  the  winning 
of  the  men  to  his  side  in  order  to  use  them  at  a  future 
day. 

After  discharging  cargo  for  Punta  Arenas,  and  taking 
on  merchandise  and  coal,  as  well  as  fresh  provisions  for 
both  passengers  and  crew,  the  Wenonah  weighed  anchor 
and  stood  out  upon  the  last  stretch  through  the  Straits. 

The  high  hills  and  diversified  scenery  that  characterized 
the  landscape  since  entering  at  Port  Otway,  now  gave  way 
to  low  rolling  ground  which  became  less  and  less  elevated, 
though  often  very  picturesque,  as  the  ship  approached 
the  eastern  limit.  Finally,  in  the  dusk  of  evening  she 
passed  Cape  Virgins,  and  was  soon  rising  and  falling  to 
the  long  swell  of  the  Atlantic,  under  all  sail,  with  a  light 
breeze,  heading  northeast. 

Cape  Virgins  is  a  low  headland  that  forms  the  northern 
limit  of  the  Straits:  it  extends  into  the  water  as  a  sandy 
spit,  partly  covered,  and  must  therefore  be  given  a  wide 
berth.  The  name  is  Virgins — not  Virgin — in  allusion  to 
the  legend  of  St.  Ursula  and  her  eleven  thousand  virgins. 
The  legend  is  too  long  to  give  here,  but  it  will  be  found 
in  quaint  and  pleasing  language  in  the  Handbook  of 
Legendary  Art  by  Mrs.  Clement. 

The  old  Spanish  navigators  showed  their  religious 
fervor  by  naming  islands,  capes,  straits,  and  other  natural 
objects  after  saints,  festivals,  or  dogmatical  principles  of 
the  Church — as  Trinidad,  Santa  Cruz,  Concepcion, 
Inocentes — thus  glorifying  God  in  his  works.  The  Anglo- 
Saxon,  on  the  other  hand,  set  up  the  renown  of  man — 


310      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

either  himself  as  discoverer,  or  some  notable  person  whose 
favor  he  thought  well  to  secure.  When  Columbus  saw 
the  land  he  so  eagerly  sought,  he  did  not  bestow  on  it  the 
name  of  Isabel  in  recognition  of  the  aid  she  gave;  nor 
prosaically  call  it  Watling  Island,  as  some  scion  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race  has  done:  he  did  nothing  of  the  kind; 
but  imbued  with  deep  gratitude  for  the  Higher  Power 
that  guided  his  quest,  and  amidst  the  ceremonial  that  daily 
renders  Him  homage  throughout  the  world,  he  gave  it 
the  sonorous  name  of  the  Saviour  of  mankind — San 
Salvador.  The  practise  of  the  one  race  illustrates  its 
chivalrous  character — the  generosity  that  well  may 
account  for  its  failure  to  attain  distinction  in  hard  business 
enterprises:  it  indicates  the  prevalence  of  the  sentimental 
vein;  whereas  the  practise  of  the  other  race  points  to  its 
sharp  eye  for  the  main  chance — to  let  no  opportunity  slip 
that  may  redound  to  its  own  advantage;  and  this  trait 
may  easily  explain  why  the  Anglo-Saxon  is  the  dominant 
people  of  the  earth 

There  is  also  a  peculiar  quaintness  as  well  as  appro- 
priateness in  certain  Spanish  names  of  islets,  rocks,  shoals, 
and  reefs:  two  such  dangers — one  in  the  Caribbean  Sea 
the  other  off  Callao — are  called  respectively  Quita-seunos 
and  Abre-ojos;  and  surely,  no  prudent  mariner  would 
ever  close  an  eye,  much  less  steal  forty  winks,  in  their 
vicinity. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

FROM  THE  STRAITS  OF  MAGELLAN  TO  MONTEVIDEO 

DURING  this  run,  life  on  board  presented  the  same 
uniformity  that  a  landscape  does  when  seen  through 
colored  glass — no  variegated  tints — no  striking  contrasts: 
and  outboard,  there  was  almost  the  same  condition  of 
wind  and  sea. 

Some  bad  weather  they  had — heavy  squalls  with  drench- 
ing rain — an  occasion  for  clewing  up  the  light  sails  and 
settling  away  the  topsail  halliards;  but  nothing  to  reef 
down  to,  or  lay  the  ship  by  the  wind:  merely  a  short  run 
before  it,  then  hoist  away,  set  everything,  and  stand  on 
again  close  hauled.  Nevertheless,  the  First  Mate  took 
advantage  of  every  such  opportunity  to  call  a  few  of  the 
men  into  his  storeroom  and  deal  out  a  finger  of  whiskey — 
"they  were  wet  and  it  would  prevent  catching  cold!" 

By  this  means,  before  reaching  Montevideo  he  had 
more  than  half  the  crew  well  disposed  toward  him — 
even  the  Boatswain  had  been  seen  and  found  amenable 
to  liquid  suasion.  Can  we  blame  him?  How  many  of 
us  with  our  strongest  appetite  starved  and  greedy,  will 
resist  the  alluring  bait  when  within  reach  ?  Let  him  who 
has  principle  enough  to  control  himself  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, thank  God  for  the  strength;  but  also,  let  him 
be  lenient  toward  the  one  who  succumbs.  We  all  have 
our  weak  spots — one  is  open  to  flattery — vanity  pre- 
dominates, and  he  will  go  to  any  excess  to  attain  notoriety; 

311 


312      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

another  craves  stimulants  or  narcotics — the  particular 
kind  matters  little — it  may  be  opium,  or  the  morphine 
habit,  or  alcoholic  drink,  and  the  thirst  for  it  will  break 
every  bound:  let  us  each  look  inward — see  wherein  we 
most  fail — and  concentrate  our  efforts  on  that:  our  whole 
prayer  may  well  be  shortened  into — "Lead  us  not  into 
temptation." 

While  in  the  Patagonian  Channels,  the  Captain  was  on 
deck  every  day  from  the  time  the  ship  got  under  way  until 
she  came  to  anchor,  piloting  her;  this,  of  course,  was  the 
principal  work,  and  as  he  did  it  all  himself,  he  thought 
to  afford  the  mates  a  respite  from  watches  by  allowing 
them  to  take  turns  at  the  other  duties,  one  each  day — a 
kind  of  officer  of  the  day,  and  all  sleeping  in  at  night, 
while  the  quartermasters  kept  watch.  The  crew,  except 
an  anchor  watch,  slept  in;  so  that  all  hands,  save  Colburn, 
were  fresh  for  their  regular  sea  work  on  emerging  into  the 
Atlantic. 

But  now  again  the  mates  were  put  in  three  watches, 
and  while  the  Captain  required  no  additional  duty  of 
Hawse,  he  directed  that  the  other  two  should  (on  the  days 
they  had  fewest  watches)  do  some  navigation  work — 
take  either  a  meridian  altitude,  a  time  sight,  or  an  azimuth, 
or  work  up  the  dead  reckoning  of  the  previous  day:  this 
he  exacted  as  a  matter  of  justice  to  them,  in  case  they 
should  ever  rise  to  command,  and  not  at  all  as  an  assistance 
to  himself;  for  he  always  took  his  own  observations  and 
kept  an  account  of  the  ship's  run. 

The  log-book  was  a  faithful  record  of  life  on  board:  at 
the  end  of  every  watch,  the  Mate  observed  and  recorded 
the  mercurial  barometer;  the  thermometers  (wet  and  dry 
bulbs) ;  the  average  direction  and  force  of  the  wind  during 


FROM  MAGELLAN  TO  MONTEVIDEO  313 

each  hour  of  his  watch;  the  course  made  good;  the  speed 
by  log-chip;  reading  of  the  patent  log;  the  weather;  state 
of  the  sea  and  its  temperature;  sail  carried;  work  the  watch 
on  deck  was  engaged  in;  the  exercises  and  drills  of  the 
crew;  all  accidents  to  the  personnel  or  material;  the  parts 
of  the  ship,  equipment,  and  machinery  inspected  period- 
ically in  accordance  with  the  owners'  regulations  or  the 
Captain's  requirements,  vessels  sighted  and  signals  made: 
changes  in  the  food;  and  all  other  items  essential  to  a 
complete  and  accurate  record  of  the  doings  of  this  little 
community.  By  frequently  examining  the  log-book  him- 
self, and  calling  attention  to  omissions  and  discrepancies, 
the  Captain  had  in  course  of  time  trained  the  mates  to 
habits  of  regularity  and  precision;  so  that  the  entries 
became  entirely  reliable:  he  also  required  both  the  mate 
coming  on  duty  and  the  one  he  relieved  to  verify  together 
the  reading  of  the  meteorological  instruments,  the  speed, 
course,  and  other  matters,  in  order  to  avoid  those  dis- 
crepancies that  usually  occur  at  change  of  watches. 

And  would  that  every  log-book  were  kept  with  equal 
care!  Many  of  them  are  flagrant  misrepresentations  of 
wind,  weather,  and  instrumental  indications — conditions 
often  entered  from  memory,  according  to  whim  or  con- 
venience long  after  their  occurrence. 

Certain  entries  in  the  log-book  concern  only  those  on 
board,  or  the  owners;  but  other  entries — all  pertaining 
to  wind,  weather,  sea,  and  temperature — have  universal 
importance,  commercially  and  scientifically.  The  sailing 
ship  will  never  disappear  from  the  ocean — she  will  always 
be  the  mode  of  transportation  for  some  articles;  and  the 
speediness  and  safety  of  her  passage  are  dependent  on 
correct  information  of  the  winds :  this  information,  through 


314      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

great  labor,  has  been  charted  and  placed  within  reach  of 
the  seaman  from  multitudes  of  log-books.  The  pilot 
charts,  as  they  are  called,  correspond  in  a  measure  to  the 
daily  weather  map  issued  by  the  U.  S.  Agricultural  Dept.  : 
only,  that  the  pilot  charts  are  for  all  time — an  average  of 
what  has  occurred  through  long  years,  while  the  weather 
map  is  temporary — a  photographic  view,  as  it  were,  of 
atmospheric  conditions  at  a  specific  moment.  With  this 
bird's  eye  view  before  one — lines  of  equal  pressure  and 
equal  temperature  together  with  data  of  vapor  tension  in 
the  air,  it  is  manifestly  within  the  power  of  an  intelligent 
persoru to  predict  the  weather  for  some  hours  to  come: 
this  knowledge  of  contiguous  and  remote  regions  supple- 
ments what  the  observer  can  see  about  him  and  infer 
from  instrumental  indications.  If,  for  instance,  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  the  air  is  calm,  light,  warm,  and  humid 
— a  Low;  and  the  map  shows  a  mass  of  cool,  heavy  air 
overspreading  New  England — a  dense,  cold  High,  it  re- 
quires no  very  great  prophet  to  tell  us  that  northeasterly 
winds  will  blow  and  bring  rain:  the  flow  of  air  like  that 
of  water  is  always  toward  the  lower  level;  and  the  level 
as  well  as  its  condition  is  indicated  by  barometers  and 
wet  and  dry  bulb  thermometers:  for  correct  prediction, 
therefore,  it  is  essential  that  they  be  read  and  recorded 
aright. 

The  seaman,  on  the  other  hand,  has  not  for  his  forecast 
this  extensive  daily  view  of  his  surroundings:  the  pilot 
chart  affords  information  based  on  averages  only- 
nothing  specific  for  a  particular  day;  but  with  the  climatic 
conditions  clearly  mapped  out  before  him — mean  values 
deduced  from  countless  single  observations  extending 
over  a  century — the  winds,  their  percentage  and  force 


FROM  MAGELLAN  TO  MONTEVIDEO  315 

from  each  point  of  the  compass;  the  barometric  height 
and  its  daily  oscillation;  the  number  of  squalls,  storms, 
and  rainy  days;  the  periods  of  thunder  and  lightning; 
the  amount  of  foggy  weather;  the  temperature  and  its 
daily  range;  and  a  clear  resume  of  other  facts  that  cannot 
be  expressed  numerically — with  all  this  before  him,  not  only 
for  his  own  immediate  vicinity,  but  for  the  ocean  far  and 
wide,  the  seaman  is  in  a  position  to  avoid  calm  belts  and 
seek  steady  winds,  as  well  as  foresee  what  will  probably 
happen  along  his  daily  route,  if  he  bears  this  information 
well  in  mind  while  observing  his  instruments  and  noting 
the  indications  of  the  sky  and  the  feel  of  the  weather. 

As  decreasing  soundings  denote  a  shelving  beach,  so  a 
gradually  rising  barometer — the  mercury  slowly  mounting 
as  the  ship  advances,  indicates  that  she  is  running  into 
denser  air — an  accumulation  of  it — the  High  of  the 
weather  map,  which  may  have  a  haystack  shape,  and  from 
which  the  wind  must  subsequently  blow  outward  on  every 
side  until  it  is  levelled  to  tranquility.  A  ship  under 
canvas  cannot  run  into  the  wind's  eye,  so  that  she  is 
probably  skirting  the  aerial  mound  with  a  spirally  inward 
tendency  if  her  barometer  be  slowly  rising:  after  the 
wind  has  blown  for  a  long  time  from  one  direction,  the 
High  will  be  levelled  and  the  Low  will  be  filled — even 
more,  this  will  in  turn  become  a  High;  and  then  it  is 
generally  safe  to  predict  that  the  wind  will  come  from 
the  direction  it  blew  toward  previously — the  new  High 
must  be  levelled  and  emptied  into  the  Low  which  the 
ship  probably  occupies  (as  the  barometer  will  indicate 
when  compared  with  its  previous  high  readings).  This 
is  the  value  of  barometric  observations  at  sea  in  connection 
with  those  of  temperature  and  humidity.  Two  facts 


316      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

must  be  considered  in  all  weather  predictions:  on  shore, 
the  land  is  variously  diversified  by  mountain,  lake,  and 
valley,  which  may  divert  the  natural  flow  of  air  and  upset 
predictions  based  on  the  most  accurate  information;  while 
at  sea,  the  uniformity  of  the  surface  for  hundreds  of  miles 
conduces  to  regularity  and  favors  predictions.  When  the 
seaman  considers  that  the  information  he  seeks  from  pilot 
charts  is  in  part  supplied  by  his  own  log-book,  and  that 
a  little  bad  leaven  may  vitiate  the  whole  mass,  it  should  be 
sufficient  incentive  to  make  the  observations  and  entries 
in  his  log-book  with  all  the  care  and  accuracy  possible. 

In  due  time  the  Wenonah  reached  the  vicinity  of 
Montevideo,  sighting  the  Island  of  Flores  one  evening 
about  dusk.  Vessels  often  pass  to  the  westward  of  the 
island,  even  in  the  dark;  and  some  have  come  to  grief  for 
their  temerity:  it  is  like  the  man  who  leisurely  approaches 
a  street  crossing — sees  a  rapidly  moving  car  and  rushes 
to  cross  in  front  of  it.  The  Rio  de  la  Plata  has  a  current 
that  is  said  to  be  perceptible  two  hundred  miles  at  sea, 
and  therefore  sweeps  past  the  Island  of  Flores  with  some 
strength,  carrying  vessels  smoothly  but  surely  to  disaster 
in  the  darkness  of  night  or  storm  when  mist  obscures  the 
land.  Captain  Colburn  took  no  hazard  with  his  ship 
to  save  an  hour  or  two,  but  prudently  came  up  to  the 
eastward  of  the  island,  and  held  on  to  the  beacon-light 
by  short  tacks,  with  a  constant  approach  to  the  port, 
until  morning. 

Beating  to  windward! — what  a  weariness  of  limb  and 
spirit  it  recalls  to  the  seaman  who  has  done  it  off  some 
port  where  the  wind  blows  him  out  eternally  and  baffles 
all  effort  to  enter.  Such  is  Fort  de  France  in  the  Island 
of  Martinique,  or  Porto  Praya  in  the  Cape  Verd  group: 


FROM  MAGELLAN  TO  MONTEVIDEO  317 

both  are  within  the  Northeast  Trades,  which  blow  forever 
out  of  the  harbor — usually  as  gentle  breezes,  but  also  at 
times  as  a  strong  wind — the  expiring  gasps  of  a  heavy  gale. 
The  ship  stands  on  for  the  weather  shore — hugs  the  point, 
and  is  about  to  round  it  and  sail  up  the  harbor,  when  a 
shift  of  wind  all  but  takes  her  aback  and  she  must  up 
helm  and  pass  the  entrance,  vexation  in  the  captain's 
heart  and  an  imprecation  on  his  lips.  He  goes  about  and 
makes  another  trial,  hoping  for  a  favorable  slant;  but  no 
— again  on  rounding  the  point  the  wind  draws  ahead — 
the  anchorage  is  but  a  mile  away,  yet  he  cannot  make  it, 
but  must  pass  by — and  tack  and  wear  during  the  day, 
or  drift  and  lie-to  during  the  night,  anxiously  waiting, 
perhaps  for  days,  for  that  wind  to  let  him  in,  until  in 
despair  the  spirit  exclaims:  "  O  Lord,  how  long!" 

The  Wenonah  steamed  slowly  up  to  an  anchorage  off 
Montevideo,  her  sails  neatly  furled,  yards  square,  rigging 
taut,  a  large  ensign  at  the  peak,  and  the  leadsmen  calling 
out  the  soundings  in  their  sing-song  drawl.  She  was 
neat,  clean,  and  trim,  the  crew  and  officers  in  uniform, 
and  everything  seamanlike — bearing  the  air  so  character- 
istic of  an  American  ship  commanded  by  a  man  who  had 
a  firm  hold  of  all  on  board.  The  Captain  was  on  the 
bridge  and  directed  her  movements  with  the  conscious 
pride  of  race  and  occupation — the  freedom  of  the  sea, 
the  liberty  of  his  country — what  two  more  inspiring 
motives  to  make  him  walk  the  bridge  with  head  erect 
or  tread  more  firm ! 

The  harbor  is  everywhere  shallow,  a  deep  draught 
vessel  almost  touches  the  muddy  bottom  long  ere  she 
reaches  a  berth;  so  that  the  Wenonah  was  still  a  mile  or 
more  from  the  wharf  when  she  came  to.  She  was  to  re- 


318      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

main  but  a  few  days,  to  discharge  some  cargo  and  fill  up 
with  more  for  New  York. 

Our  passengers  went  ashore  at  once  and  took  up  their 
abode  at  the  principal  hotel,  intending  to  enjoy  life  and 
study  the  peculiarities  of  this  flourishing  city.  Monte- 
video is  built  on  a  mound-shaped  promontory,  elevated 
above  the  sea,  which  washes  its  base  for  more  than  half 
the  circumference;  it  is  therefore  admirably  located  for 
salubrity  of  climate;  the  salty  air  of  the  Atlantic  blows 
through  its  dwellings  as  an  invigorating  tonic,  while  a 
heavy  rain  comes,  flushes  its  streets,  and  by  natural  drain- 
age carries  all  refuse  down  to  the  sea  and  out  into  the  great 
ocean.  The  houses  are  fine,  the  streets  broad,  commerce 
thrives,  and  the  conveniences  and  comforts  of  modern 
life  are  found  there.  The  climate  is  mild,  and  it  seems 
an  ideal  place  to  enjoy  purity  of  air  and  cleanliness  of 
habitation,  as  well  as  the  luxuries  that  wealth  can  provide. 
Our  passengers  who  had  been  so  long  isolated  from  the 
hum  of  busy  life  were  delighted ;  and  decided  not  to  return 
to  the  ship  until  the  hour  of  sailing :  they  rode  and  walked 
and  shopped — went  everywhere — saw  everything,  and 
at  the  end  of  three  days  knew  as  much  about  the  city  and 
its  suburbs  as  many  an  inhabitant  who  had  been  born 
there.  They  used  every  argument  to  induce  the  Captain 
to  take  a  room  and  live  at  the  hotel,  and  let  the  Mate 
attend  to  the  routine  on  board — but  without  avail:  the 
most  they  could  attain,  was  to  have  him  go  to  the  opera 
two  evenings  when  Lucrezia  Borgia  and  Lucia  di  Lam- 
mermoor  were  sung.  Northrup  mortgaged  him  for  this 
by  securing  a  box  for  the  whole  party  (without  their 
knowledge)  a  few  hours  after  going  ashore. 

During  the  day  time,  Colburn  remained  on  board  and 


FROM  MAGELLAN  TO  MONTEVIDEO  319 

attended  to  ship  duties :  he  gave  the  officers  and  men  ample 
liberty — wiped  off  old  scores  against  even  the  worst 
offenders,  hoping  that  a  little  generosity  would  touch  a 
responsive  chord  in  their  nature;  but  the  roots  of  the  evil 
were  spread  too  wide  and  sunk  too  deep  for  one  man  to 
dislodge  them  during  a  single  passage.  It  must  be 
regretfully  recorded  that  he  met  with  little  more  success 
than  at  Callao:  Jack  argued  that  this  was  nearly  the  last 
port  before  reaching  New  York — they  were  on  the  home 
stretch,  and  would  enjoy  themselves  while  they  could. 
As  well  be  killed  for  a  sheep  as  a  lamb,  was  a  primal 
dogma  of  their  creed — and  they  argued  from  experience. 
How  many  captains  endeavor  to  be  just  and  generous 
toward  them  ?  If  many  did,  Colburn's  efforts  would  not 
be  so  sterile.  It  needs  only  the  wide-spread  and  consistent 
practice  of  a  custom  to  establish  its  natural  results — if 
the  seed  be  good,  so  will  the  fruit;  if  bad,  so  will  the 
harvest.  Colburn's  seed  was  excellent,  but  it  fell  on  ground 
made  stony — aye,  flinty,  by  hard  knocks  and  deceitful 
dealing.  One  man  alone  cannot  make  much  headway 
against  the  effect  of  the  bad  treatment  of  years  that 
pervades  the  sea-faring  community. 

On  the  fourth  day  the  Wenonah  weighed  anchor  and 
crossed  the  Rio  de  la  Plata  to  Buenos  Aires:  it  takes  but 
a  few  hours  to  make  the  trip — the  ship  left  early  in  the 
morning,  and  was  at  the  wharf  of  the  other  city  by  even- 
ing. The  water  is  very  shallow  all  the  way,  and  shoals 
more  as  one  approaches  the  wharves  and  basins  of  Buenos 
Aires,  which  have  been  constructed  to  facilitate  commerce. 

This  is  a  rich  enterprising  mart  of  trade — full  of  all 
the  activities  of  a  great  centre  for  the  reception  and  dis- 
tribution of  the  necessaries  and  luxuries  of  life  to  a  large 


320      THE  VOYAGE  or  THE  WENONAH 

city  as  well  as  to  a  populous  and  extensive  surrounding 
country.  Buenos  Aires  has  not  the  advantage  of  site  that 
Montevideo  possesses — quite  the  contrary.  It  is  some 
little  distance  up  the  river,  and  therefore  has  not  the  first 
effervescing  sparkle  of  the  sea  breeze :  it  is  on  flat  ground, 
only  slightly  elevated  above  sea  level,  and  is  surrounded 
by  an  extensive  plain — therefore  the  drainage  cannot  be 
exceptionally  good:  still  it  must  be  a  healthy  place — 
the  very  name  of  the  city  (Good  Airs)  could  not  be  given 
to  a  foul  locality.  It  is  very  regular  in  its  plan,  all  the 
streets  cutting  each  other  at  right  angles;  and  is  decidedly 
modern,  having  many  fine  buildings,  with,  however,  a 
touch  of  Spanish  antecedents  pervading  the  whole.  The 
streets  are  wide  and  clean — as  clean,  even,  as  at  Monte- 
video; and  it  has  much  more  the  air  of  a  commercial 
metropolis  than  the  latter  city. 

The  stay  of  the  Wenonah  was  short — merely  to  dis- 
charge and  replace  cargo.  There  was  some  cargo,  how- 
ever, that  could  well  be  left  behind;  and  it  was  not  on 
the  bill  of  lading,  either;  but  consigned  in  propria  persona 
to  Jacob  Hawse — namely,  some  cases  of  whiskey:  the 
Mate  had  wrought  such  charms  with  his  first  essay  of 
spirituous  consolation  that  he  determined  to  increase  the 
dose  until  he  should  have  the  whole  ship's  company  so 
much  within  his  coils  that  he  could  use  them  at  pleasure. 

The  passengers  repeated  at  Buenos  Aires  the  round 
of  enjoyment  and  information  they  had  at  Montevideo, 
and  with  equally  satisfactory  results;  so  that  on  the  third 
day  after  arrival,  when  the  call  was  piped  to  get  underway, 
they  were  on  board  loaded  to  the  deep  water  line  with  all 
kinds  of  happy  and  instructive  experiences  of  this  thriving 
city  of  the  far  South. 


FROM  MAGELLAN  TO  MONTEVIDEO  321 

Pampero  is  the  name  given  to  a  strong,  stormy  wind 
peculiar  to  this  region:  it  descends  from  the  snowy  peaks 
of  the  Andes  upon  the  pampas  or  low  plains  that  form 
this  part  of  the  southern  continent,  especially  the  valley 
of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata:  a  heavy  pampero  was  blowing  the 
day  the  Wenonah  sailed  from  Buenos  Aires;  and  land- 
marks were  but  dimly  visible  through  the  mist  that 
accompanied  the  wind — it  was  anxious  work,  picking 
out  the  way  down  the  river  and  out  toward  Maldonado 
Point.  As  they  proceeded,  the  wind  drew  ahead — sail 
could  not  be  carried — and  coal  was  burning  at  an  alarm- 
ing rate:  still,  Colburn  kept  on,  much  to  the  apprehension 
of  some  on  board  (due  to  the  ominous  looks  and  fore- 
boding innuendo  of  the  First  Mate)  that  the  ship  would 
be  driven  on  a  lee  shore — the  coast  of  Uruguay,  scarcely 
a  mile  off.  But  toward  evening  the  Captain  got  a  glimpse 
of  the  light  house  on  the  beach  to  the  northward — his 
persistent  watch  in  that  direction  was  rewarded  by  a 
momentary  rift  in  the  driving  clouds — he  saw  the  beacon 
revealed  as  by  a  flash — it  established  his  position  and  he 
could  now  lay  a  course  that  would  take  him  safely  past 
the  point.  The  wind  soon  hauled  aft  a  little — fore  and 
aft  sail  was  set,  the  engine  was  slowed,  and  during  the 
night  less  coal  was  burned. 

When  day  broke,  the  mist  had  cleared  away,  the  clouds 
were  disappearing,  no  land  was  in  sight,  the  wind  was 
fresh  and  steady  from  the  southeast  quarter,  so  sail 
was  made — steam  let  down,  fires  hauled — and  the  good 
ship  Wenonah  stood  to  the  northeast  on  the  starboard 
tack. 

The  Captain  had  not  left  the  bridge  since  casting  off 
from  the  wharf  at  Buenos  Aires:  for  twenty-four  hours 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


he  had  kept  watch  in  cutting  wind  and  misty  rain,  so  now 
with  the  ship  bounding  onward  under  every  sail  that 
would  draw,  with  fine  weather  and  a  smooth  sea  ahead, 
he  went  below  and  turned  in. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

BURIAL  AT  SEA 

Nor  have  I  time 

To  give  thee  hallow'd  to  thy  grave,  but  straight 
Must  cast  thee,  scarcely  coffin'd,  in  the  ooze; 
Where,  for  a  monument  upon  thy  bones, 
And  aye-remaining  lamps,  the  belching  whale 
And  humming  water  must  o'erwhelm  thy  corpse, 
Lying  with  simple  shells. 

— Shakspere. 

IT  is  not  on  firm  ground,  moving  with  proud  step 
along  the  stately  avenue,  amidst  the  famed  and  noted  in 
every  walk  of  life,  that  man  thinks  most  of  God,  the 
Author  of  it  all;  but  on  the  broad  ocean — his  foot-hold  a 
wavy  billow,  and  only  the  brittle  fibre  of  a  plank  between 
him  and  eternity!  There,  with  monotony,  solitude,  and 
stillness  unbroken,  save  by  the  rage  of  storm,  which 
wrenches  and  tosses  his  little  bark  as  if  in  derision  of  his 
efforts  to  struggle  with  its  mighty  force,  he  feels  that  he 
is  indeed  in  the  grasp  of  Omnipotence.  The  few  of  his 
kind  about  him  are  especially  dear,  because  the  lot  of  one  is 
the  fate  of  all :  the  advent  of  joy  is  more  buoyantly  shared, 
and  the  shaft  of  affliction  makes  a  deeper  wound:  the 
intimacy  is  so  close  and  on  such  common  ground,  that  a 
chord  snapped  in  one  heart  sends  a  pang  through  all. 

On  the  second  day  out  from  Montevideo,  little  Ada 

323 


324      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

(as  she  was  affectionately  called  by  all  on  board)  was 
seized  by  an  acute  ailment  caused  by  some  strawberries 
brought  from  port.  The  patter  of  her  little  feet  was 
missed  from  the  deck  and  the  merriment  of  her  prattle 
no  longer  lightened  every  heart:  she  lay  almost  inert  on 
a  couch,  her  face  distorted  by  pain:  the  disease  made 
rapid  progress,  and  the  delicate  organism  soon  showed 
its  wasting  blight.  Her  mother,  though  weak  and  ailing, 
never  left  the  child's  side:  throughout  the  day  and  during 
the  night — throughout  the  next  day  and  the  succeeding 
night  she  watched  and  soothed  the  little  sufferer,  and 
administered  every  remedy  that  promised  relief  from  the 
ravages  of  the  malady:  she  slept  not,  and  scarcely  ate. 
Medicines  of  last  resort  were  given,  but  to  no  avail:  on 
the  third  day,  toward  evening,  her  father,  who  had  not 
yet  fully  realized  the  seriousness  of  the  ailment,  suddenly 
noticed  a  pallor  o'erspread  her  face  and  a  sinking  about 
the  eyes — a  dimming  of  those  clear,  fine  mirrors  of  a  pure 
soul.  It  stunned  him,  and  with  a  voice  striving  to  stifle 
his  emotion,  he  said  to  his  wife,  "I  believe  Ada  is  going." 
She  knew  it — her  own  intent  gaze  had  long  previously 
seen  death's  shadow  hovering  near;  but  she  kept  the 
knowledge  to  herself,  and  bravely  strove  to  deprive  him 
of  his  victim.  Day  waned,  and  the  little  life  on  the  bed 
ebbed  faster  and  faster:  every  fading  breath,  now  more 
weak  than  the  one  before,  gave  poignancy  to  the  grief  of 
the  two  sore  hearts  that  beat  with  sad  affection. 

"Then  has  it  come  at  last — must  we  lose  her — will 
only  a  void  remain  where  joy  and  sunshine  were?"  It 
was  a  desolating  thought  that  their  happiness  would  soon 
be  but  a  memory — the  pleasure  of  rearing  and  training 
the  child,  taken  from  them — the  opportunity  gone  for 


BURIAL  AT  SEA  325 

cultivating  an  attractive  personality  that  would  afford  joy 
to  all,  and  ensure  affection  for  themselves  in  their  declining 
years.  Doctor  Austin  took  up  the  little  form  in  his  arms 
and  rested  the  head  on  his  shoulder  as  he  had  done  many 
a  time  in  fond  play:  it  soothed  the  child,  she  rested  quietly 
for  a  little  while,  and  then  raising  her  head  with  an  eager 
plaintive  wail,  she  said,  "I  want  to  goto  mamma."  Al- 
ways mamma!  who  loved  her  so,  and  to  whom  she  ever 
clung  with  the  tenacity  of  a  soft  tendril.  She  left  this 
world,  her  parting  breath  a  yearning  for  her  mother — an 
affection  of  which  it  might  well  be  said:  "Pour  esquisser 
son  amour,  un  ange  devrait  arracher  de  ses  ailes  la  plume 
la  plus  deliee  et  la  tremper  dans  le  coeur  de  la  mere." 

The  intangible  had  fled — the  hopes,  joys,  aspirations, 
saddening  emotions  and  fond  affections — the  most  intense 
realities  of  life — the  spirit — had  gone  to  the  realm  of  its 
Maker;  and  only  the  form  of  clay  remained,  yet  beautiful 
to  behold  in  its  simple  white  robe,  as  if  chiselled  in  marble. 

The  bier  was  prepared  in  the  forward  part  of  the  cabin, 
which  was  screened  off  by  a  heavy  portiere  hung  ath wart- 
ships:  the  body  lay  in  a  cot  steadied  by  small  lines;  a  large 
ensign  with  some  white  muslin  was  artistically  festooned 
by  Marguerite  about  the  cot,  so  that  the  little  form  seemed 
resting  peacefully  amidst  the  drapery;  the  union-jack 
was  laid  over  the  feet  and  hung  in  folds  to  the  deck;  at  the 
head,  upon  a  small  table,  stood  a  fine  bronze  crucifix — 
the  symbol  of  the  family's  faith,  which  always  accompanied 
them;  and  on  each  side  of  it  was  a  candelabrum  containing 
six  lighted  candles. 

The  Captain  had  considerately  told  Doctor  Austin 
that  he  need  not  be  in  haste  about  the  burial;  but  the 
latter  consulted  Brooks  about  the  custom  in  such  cases 


326      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  learning  that  sailors  were  averse  to  having  a  body 
on  board,  he  decided  to  have  the  interment  on  the  second 
day  after  the  death.  The  crew  offered  to  keep  a  con- 
tinuous watch,  one  at  a  time,  over  the  remains;  but  this 
was  declined,  as  the  parents  expressed  a  desire  to  be 
alone  with  their  dead:  and  thus  the  Doctor  and  his  wife 
and  Marguerite  kept  company  with  the  little  one  day  and 
night  unto  the  last — Mrs.  Austin  on  the  right  side,  Mar- 
guerite on  the  left,  and  each  affectionately  holding  one  of 
the  little  hands  in  theirs  as  (when  alive)  they  had  often 
done  to  lull  her  to  sleep:  the  Doctor  sat  at  the  child's  feet, 
and  all  three  fixed  many  a  searching  look  on  the  little  face, 
as  if  to  penetrate  the  mystery  she  now  knew.  It  was  a 
sad  scene:  the  tearful,  grief -stricken  living — the  placid, 
smiling  dead,  apparently  reflecting  the  bliss  of  her  spirit 
in  Heaven! 

Immediately  after  the  death,  the  Captain  had  a  coffin 
made  of  mahogany:  affectionate  hands  assisted  in  the 
work,  so  that  when  the  time  for  burial  came,  a  beautiful 
casket,  smoothed  and  highly  polished,  was  ready:  in  this 
the  remains  were  placed,  and  the  lid  screwed  down;  but 
Ada's  lovely  face  was  still  visible  through  a  large  square 
of  glass  inserted  in  the  cover.  Word  was  passed  that  the 
men  could  come  in  and  take  a  last  look  at  the  child,  and 
every  one  in  the  ship  did  so.  A  plain  box  of  California 
redwood  was  made  at  the  same  time,  in  which  to  place 
the  coffin:  it  had  a  double  bottom  filled  with  ballast  to 
ensure  its  sinking — a  delicate  forethought  of  Captain 
Colburn's  to  hide  from  view  the  weight  that  is  attached 
to  the  cot  or  hammock  in  which  the  dead  are  usually 
buried  at  sea.  This  box  was  placed  on  rollers  level  with 
the  gangway  and  pointed  outboard  ready  for  launching; 


BURIAL  AT  SEA  327 

guys  held  it  secure  and  steady  until  the  last  rites  should 
be  performed  and  the  word  given  for  separation. 

It  was  now  six  bells  of  the  forenoon  watch — the  time 
set  for  consigning  the  body  to  the  deep.  The  Captain 
came  out  of  his  cabin,  and  told  the  Mate  to  take  in  the 
light  sails  and  courses,  and  heave-to;  and  when  this  was 
done,  to  have  the  Boatswain  call  all  hands  bury  the  dead. 

In  a  subdued,  penetrating  voice,  Hawse  gave  the 
orders:  "To*  gallant  and  royal  clewlines!"  "Fore  and 
main  clewgarnets  and  buntlines!"  and  when  the  sails 
were  snug  in  the  gear,  "Lee  fore,  weather  main,  and 
cro'jack,  braces!"  "Put  the  helm  down!"  "Brace  up 
— brace  aback!"  A  fresh  breeze  was  blowing  on  the 
starboard  quarter  and  the  ship  was  skimming  smoothly 
over  a  moderate  sea;  but  as  she  came  to  the  wind,  there 
was  for  a  moment  a  violent  shaking  of  sails,  rattle  of  blocks, 
and  clatter  of  tackle:  then  all  was  quiet,  and  the  ship  lay 
still  while  the  wind  moaned  a  solemn  dirge  through  the 
shrouds  and  rigging.  But  a  sadder  note  rose  in  unison — 
the  longA^BBrf  pipe  of  the  Boatswain,  followed  by  the  f 
call  in  a  deep  voice,  "All  hands  bury  the  dead!"  The/ 
men  came  aft  and  gathered  round  the  port  gangway:  all 
uncovered.  The  ensign  was  hoisted  to  the  peak,  and 
then  half-masted.  The  ship's  bell  was  tolling;  and  from 
the  cabin  came  the  bier  borne  by  four  seamen  and  followed 
by  the  parents,  the  other  passengers,  and  all  the  officers 
of  the  ship.  The  little  procession  advanced  slowly  to  the 
gangway — a  pathetic  sight  which  brought  tears  to  many 
an  eye.  The  coffin  was  placed  in  the  box — all  knelt,  and 
Doctor  Austin  read  the  prayer  for  the  burial  of  children: 
"Almighty  and  most  merciful  God,  Who,  when  little 
children  (born  again  at  the  font  of  baptism)  depart  from 


328      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

this  world,  dost  bestow  upon  them  life  everlasting,  as  we 
believe  Thou  hast  done  this  day  to  the  soul  of  this  little 
child — grant,  we  beseech  Thee  that  we  may  serve  Thee 
here  with  pure  minds,  and  be  forever  united  to  this  blessed 
little  one  in  Paradise,  through  Christ  our  Lord — Amen." 

The  parents  took  a  last  tearful  look  at  the  dear  face — 
then  the  lid  was  fastened  on — the  guys  released — the  box 
slid  easily  into  the  waves — and  a  pang  shot  through  every 
heart  as  the  last  tie  that  bound  them  to  little  Ada  was 
severed. 

It  was  a  sore  trial  to  the  parents  to  have  their  child 
thus  pass  absolutely  from  view — no  cross  to  mark  her 
resting  place,  no  inscription  to  commemorate  her  love 
and  winning  ways,  no  mound  upon  which  to  strew  fragrant 
flowers  and  grow  sweet  herbs!  It  is  sad  and  pathetic 
to  endure  the  hardships  of  life  at  sea  and  be  tossed  forever 
by  its  restless  waves  in  death! 

The  Doctor  and  his  wife  turned  sorrowfully  away  and 
entered  the  cabin.  The  Boatswain  piped  down,  and  the 
ship  filled  away  on  her  course. 

"Captain,"  said  Northrup,  on  the  following  day,  "that 
event  of  yesterday  was  the  most  saddening  in  all  my 
experience.  I  saw  my  father  die — also  my  mother;  but 
both  were  advanced  in  years,  and  it  seemed  natural  that 
the  end  should  come  soon:  but  here  was  youth  in  its  most 
attractive  freshness  cut  short  off — affectionate  little  ways 
rent,  that  clung  to  our  hearts:  to  pull  them  out  leaves 
traces  fresh  and  raw  like  those  of  the  creeper  torn  from 
its  support. 

"Then  the  burial:  on  shore  it  is  impressive;  you  linger 
with  the  remains — you  follow  them  to  the  church — the 
religious  ceremony  soothes  and  comforts  and  induces 


BURIAL  AT  SEA  329 

thoughts  of  the  life  to  come,  where  you  hope  to  meet  the 
departed  one;  the  route  to  the  cemetery  further  lengthens 
the  sad  reverie — you  commune  with  the  spirit  that  was 
lately  your  intimate;  and  even  at  the  grave,  the  last  words 
are  not  a  final  farewell — you  will  visit  it  on  the  morrow, 
and  on  the  next  day,  and  on  many  a  day  thereafter,  and 
strew  flowers  upon  it,  and  thus  give  vent  to  your  feelings 
in  little  acts  of  affection  that  time  alone  can  exhaust. 

"But  at  sea — the  last  gasp  has  scarcely  left  the  body, 
when  the  cot  that  bears  it  is  sewn  up  and  cast  into  the 
ocean:  it  sinks — sharks  attack  it — and  almost  in  your 
very  sight  the  vultures  of  the  deep  devour  it :  the  ship  goes 
on,  and  all  ties  are  severed  as  with  a  knife. 

"  O  but  'tis  rude  and  sudden — this  burial  at  sea :  I  hope 
I  may  never  see  another!  But  I  suppose  it  is  a  frequent 
occurrence  with  you?" 

"Not  in  recent  years:  but  long  ago,  I  was  attached 
to  a  sloop-of-war  on  which  yellow  fever  was  epidemic; 
and  in  a  run  from  the  West  Indies  to  Boston,  we  hove-to 
almost  every  day  and  threw  a  body  overboard. 

"I've  seen  men  killed  in  action,  but  it  never  had  the 
depressing  effect  of  yellow-jack.  The  disease  came  at 
first  as  intermittent  fever,  and  nearly  half  the  ship's  com- 
pany were  down  before  the  surgeon  was  sure  of  its  nature. 
We  were  cruising  from  island  to  island  of  the  station, 
staying  a  few  days  at  each  port,  and  all  the  time  filling  up 
with  the  disease:  finally,  at  St.  Thomas,  it  was  declared 
yellow  fever,  with  more  than  a  hundred  cases  in  a  crew  of 
three  hundred;  and  then  we  ran  for  a  frosty  climate — it 
was  November,  and  we  made  for  Boston  under  steam  and 
sail.  It  took  fourteen  days  to  make  the  passage — we 
hardly  had  enough  men  in  a  watch  to  man  the  braces,  or 


330      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

in  the  fire  room  to  shovel  coal.  Our  blood  was  as  thin 
as  orange  juice  (we  had  been  so  long  on  tropical  diet),  and 
everybody  was  weak  and  open  to  feverish  attacks  which 
rapidly  developed  into  yellow  fever. 

"The  gun  deck  was  crowded  with  men  in  all  stages  of 
the  disease — from  the  pain  in  the  head,  neck,  and  spine, 
to  delirium  and  the  black  vomit. 

"A  poor  wretch  would  come  down  from  aloft  in  the 
heat  of  mid-day — lie  on  an  arm  chest — complain  of  the 
dread  symptoms — grow  worse — and  within  twenty-four 
hours  die  in  the  throes  of  heaving  up  the  contents  of  his 
stomach.  Then  sew  him  up — put  a  thirty-two  pound 
shot  at  his  head  and  heels — call  all  hands  bury  the  dead — 
gather  the  saffron  colored  crew  at  the  gangway — stop  the 
engine,  back  the  main-topsail — a  splash!  and  fill  away 
again;  and  the  victim  who  but  the  day  before  manned 
the  braces  for  a  like  event,  was  now  consigned  to  the  deep : 
this  was  almost  a  daily  occurrence,  and  several  went  off 
as  quickly  as  that,  but  many  suffered  for  days.  Twenty 
officers  alone  of  the  squadron  died  of  the  fever  in  that 
year." 

"That  is  a  vivid  picture,  Captain,"  said  Brooks,  who 
had  joined  the  other  two;  "and  I  never  had  anything 
send  such  a  shiver  through  me  as  that  same  call  to  bury 
the  dead  on  a  man-of-war — the  boatswain  and  his  mates 
piping  together,  and  then  the  guttural  call :  it  reverberated 
throughout  the  ship — bringing  up  the  men  through  every 
hatch,  as  the  dead  might  issue  from  their  graves  at  the 
sound  of  the  last  trumpet : 

'Tuba  mfrum  spargens  sonum 
Per  sepulchra  regionem, 
Coget  omnes  ante  thronum.'  ! 


BURIAL  AT  SEA  331 

"Why,  have  you,  too,  been  in  the  Navy?"  said  Colburn 
with  surprise. 

"O  yes,"  answered  Brooks;  "but  that  is  a  tale  for 
another  day:  tell  us  the  rest  of  your  yellow-fever  experi- 
ence." 

"  Well,  you  cannot  imagine  the  gloomy  feeling  on  board : 
not  that  we  feared  the  disease — we  looked  upon  it  much 
as  we  would  on  any  ordinary  ailment,  and  I  suppose 
this  came  from  being  pent  up  with  it;  but  on  the  other 
hand,  there  was  no  laughter,  no  joviality,  no  story-telling 
on  that  ship;  and  not  the  sound  of  a  musical  instrument: 
officers  and  men  alike  looked  sober  and  serious — the 
solemnity  of  frequent  death  was  visible  in  the  downcast 
air  of  all.  At  night,  the  watch  lay  down  in  each  gangway 
and  the  officers  slept  on  their  mattresses  on  the  lee  side 
of  the  poop  or  quarter  deck. 

"Talk  of  gloom  and  depression  in  a  city  ravaged  by 
epidemic!  It  is  nothing  compared  to  a  ship.  In  the 
city,  the  pest  spots  are  isolated,  and  the  well  need  not  go 
into  them — they  have  their  own  clean,  healthy  homes, 
surrounded  by  means  to  keep  out  the  malady:  but  on  a 
ship,  you  mingle  with  the  living  that  are  stricken — you 
breath  the  same  air  as  those  most  infected — and  you  bury 
the  dead  that  are  saturated  with  the  disease! 

"  On  a  ship,  the  foulness  of  the  ailment  is  concentrated, 
and  all  alike  are  subjected  to  the  poison.  Three  hundred 
souls  (more  than  a  third  of  them  afflicted  with  the  fever) 
cooped  up  in  the  space  of  three  hundred  feet  long  by 
forty  feet  wide — and  no  getting  out  of  it — this  is  what 
it  is  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  depressing,  fatal  influence! 

"  Well,  we  reached  Boston,  or  rather  Deer  Island,  some 
miles  below  it — only  to  be  put  in  quarantine  and  im- 


332  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

prisoned  for  six  weeks  more  with  the  pest.  I  remember 
in  particular  one  genial  Saturday — a  typical  Indian 
Summer  day  (unfortunately  for  us,  for  we  needed  frosty 
weather) — when  everything  and  everybody  was  put  to 
air:  mattresses,  blankets,  and  clothes — all  reeking  with  the 
disease — were  hung  along  on  lines,  triced  up  in  the  rigging, 
and  spread  out  on  the  rail;  and  the  ship  looked  like  a 
hearse  under  a  pestilential  pall:  some  of  the  sick,  too  ill 
to  move,  lay  in  their  hammocks,  and  the  convalescents — 
wan,  thin,  and  yellow — shambled  about  the  decks:  the 
officers  sat  in  a  row  on  the  port  side  of  the  quarter  deck, 
and  a  gloomy  silence  pervaded  the  whole. 

"  It  is  well  enough  for  a  large  community  to  take  precau- 
tions against  inoculation  by  a  disease  that  is  brought  to 
them;  but  a  Christian  people  with  all  the  resources  of  a 
great  city  can  devise  some  means  for  their  own  protection 
without  compelling  those  who  have  borne  its  brunt,  to 
still  live  with  it — to  have  it  in  their  nostrils,  lungs,  and 
eyes — offending  every  sense — infecting  every  organ ! 

"Provisions  were  brought  us,  but  the  tug  that  came 
with  them  kept  well  to  windward  of  the  ship  and  we  had 
to  send  a  cutter  to  her:  then  when  settlement  came,  the 
butcher  and  baker  didn't  fail  to  make  a  good  profit  out  of 
our  misfortune  and  the  absence  of  competition." 

"It  was  monstrous,"  said  Northrup;  "and  inhuman. 
When  were  you  in  the  Navy  ?" 

"During  the  civil  war,  and  afterward  until  I  was 
honorably  discharged.  When  the  war  broke  out,  I  was 
mate  of  a  clipper  ship  sailing  for  Calcutta;  but  the  Con- 
federate cruisers  swept  our  commerce  from  the  sea — my 
occupation  was  gone — and  I  obtained  a  commission  as 
Acting  Ensign. 


BURIAL  AT  SEA  333 

"I  served  in  the  Gulf  squadron  throughout  the  war; 
and  at  its  close  was  attached  to  the  sloop-of-war  Manitou, 
on  board  of  which  the  yellow  fever  experience  I've  just 
related,  occurred." 

"I  wonder  you  didn't  engage  in  some  business  when 
you  left  the  Navy." 

"I  did,  but  failed.  I  was  still  a  comparatively  young 
man;  so  upon  discharge,  I  thought  carefully  over  the 
conditions  of  sea  life:  the  result  was,  that  I  decided  to 
try  what  I  could  do  ashore.  For  some  years  I  drifted 
from  one  ocupation  to  another — never  advancing — never 
seeing  an  opening  that  promised  any  hope.  I  found  that 
at  sea  I  had  learned  methods  the  very  opposite  of  those 
of  the  business  man — I  was  constantly  running  counter 
to  him:  it  was  clash,  clash,  clash,  eternally — I  lacked  that 
oil  of  intercourse — that  devious  suavity — that  free  masonry 
of  speech  and  manner  they  all  seem  to  practise:  I  had 
too  much  of  the  blunt  outspoken  action  of  the  sea.  Besides, 
I  had  none  of  those  friendships  that  begin  with  boys  at 
school,  are  continued  in  college,  and  ripen  and  spread 
in  the  counting-house,  at  the  bar,  or  beside  the  sick  bed; 
and  which  are  prime  factors  in  the  problem  of  success. 
To  know  each  other,  and  each  other's  families  and  friends 
and  acquaintances,  is  a  powerful  means  of  advancing 
oneself:  to  know  nobody,  and  be  known  by  no  one,  is  a 
barrier  to  every  undertaking — and  this  is  what  a  man 
finds  who  has  passed  many  years  at  sea.  Even  the  boys 
of  my  youth  had  grown  up  with  scarcely  more  knowledge 
of  me  than  of  a  Fiji  Islander:  '  O  yes,  there  was  a  William 
Col  burn/  they  would  say  after  an  effort  to  recall  me,  as 
if  I  had  dropped  from  Mars;  but  I  had  passed  out  of  their 
lives.  I  found  that  one  cannot  follow  a  calling  for  many 


334      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

years,  then  drop  it,  and  begin  life  anew:  neither  can  he 
be  successful  in  any  occupation,  or  even  get  employment 
in  it,  without  long  apprenticeship,  and  learning  its  details 
from  the  bottom  up.  There  is  delicacy  of  touch  in  both 
the  musician  and  the  painter,  but  the  nimble  fingers  of 
the  pianist  fleeting  o'er  the  keys  can  never  produce  the 
marvels  of  the  easel;  nor  can  the  skill  of  the  lapidary 
replace  the  training  of  the  marble  cutter.  No,  I  realized 
that  I  must  go  back  to  the  sea;  and  here  I  am,  resolved 
to  make  the  most  of  whatever  offers." 

During  this  recital,  Brooks  frequently  nodded  assent  to 
much  in  the  account  that  was  true  of  his  owji  life :  at  length 
he  said,  "  Well,  there  is  almost  as  much  gloom  in  this  ship 
today  as  there  was  on  the  Manitou — and  all  for  a  little 
girl!  With  me  it  is  natural  to  be  sad,  for  I  have  known 
her  from  birth:  I  have  seen  her  first  efforts  at  speech, 
listened  to  her  childish  prattle,  been  a  partner  of  her 
youthful  frolics,  watched  her  gradual  development  and 
answered  her  quaint  little  questions  which  daily  became 
more  puzzling.  I  have  been  a  part  of  her  laughter  and 
her  pastime:  with  me  it  is  the  disappearance  not  only  of 
a  beautiful  face  and  form,  but  also  the  loss  of  companion- 
ship in  lovely  budding  youth — a  warm  heart,  a  pure  soul, 
and  a  bright  mind :  she  would  have  made  a  noble  woman. 

"But  with  the  men  forward — it  is  wonderful  how 
they  feel  it!  She  was  the  very  opposite  of  their  rough 
natures,  and  yet  they  seem  as  downcast  as  by  the  loss  of 
a  shipmate." 

"That  tendency,"  said  Northrup,  "of  opposites  to 
attract  each  other,  I  have  seen  (to  all  appearances)  even 
in  trees:  the  cedar  and  maple,  tamarack  and  spruce, 
birch  and  pine — you  will  see  in  the  Adirondack  forests, 


BURIAL  AT  SEA  335 

pairs  of  these  different  trees  growing  up  together,  their 
branches  interlocking  with  almost  the  affection  of  human 
beings. 

"  What  can  be  more  unlike  than  the  birch  and  the  pine  ? 
The  birch  often  rises  from  the  ground  in  a  group  of 
separate  saplings;  the  wood  is  fine  and  close  in  fibre;  the 
bark  is  smooth  and  white,  and  encircles  the  wood  in 
silken  bands ;  and  the  branches  are  of  varied  form,  tapering 
into  twigs  that  are  covered  with  an  abundance  of  broad 
leaves:  the  pine,  on  the  other  hand,  grows  as  a  single 
trunk — its  bark  is  scraggy  and  dark — the  wood  soft  and 
loose-grained — the  branches  straight  and  symmetrical — 
and  the  leaves,  mere  clusters  of  sharp  needles.  And  yet 
I  have  seen  these  two  species  grow  up  together  more 
frequently  than  any  others. 

"I  remember  well  one  couple  on  the  trail  from  Lake 
Placid  to  the  White  Face  Inn:  both  are  large  trees — the 
pine  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  birch  twenty 
inches;  the  bark  of  the  pine  is  rough  and  furrowed  length- 
wise with  the  deep  grooves  of  age,  while  the  bark  of  the 
birch  is  soft  and  white,  and  frayed  at  intervals  into  bunches 
of  flossy,  silken  ribbons ;  for  a  height  of  forty  feet  neither 
has  branches,  only  the  pine  retains  the  short  stubs  of  some 
withered  limbs.  Now  these  two  wholly  dissimilar  trees 
have  grown  from  mere  saplings  to  rotund  girth  in  amicable 
embrace:  the  roots  of  the  birch  overlie  those  of  the  pine; 
for  twenty  feet  of  the  trunks  of  both  their  bark  is  stuck 
together  by  the  mingling  of  their  sap;  the  branches  inter- 
lace; and  the  needles  of  the  one  forever  brush  the  leaves 
of  the  other:  when  one  falls  or  suffers  injury,  the  other 
will  receive  a  rude  shock — they  are  of  mutual  support  and 
shelter,  and  together  they  will  be  rent  by  the  lightning's  bolt. 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


"  All  the  outward  features  of  the  birch  denote  a  love  of 
kind — its  delicate  skin,  abundant  foliage,  and  twining 
branches  indicate  a  fine  nature  which  invites  companion- 
ship and  reaches  out  for  friendship :  while  the  harsh  bark, 
pointed  needles,  and  straight  limbs  of  the  pine  all  repel; 
and  yet  the  birch  has  a  heart  of  stone.  It  is  a  prominent 
feature  of  the  region  I  speak  of,  that  the  birch  generally 
grows  over  a  rock  or  boulder,  its  roots  embracing  the 
stone  with  a  semblance  of  affection :  how  this  comes  about, 
I  cannot  say — whether  a  little  soil  on  top  of  the  stone 
originally  gave  life  to  a  birch  seed,  which,  sprouting  and 
growing,  spread  its  roots  over  the  stone  in  quest  of  nourish- 
ment; or  whether  several  young  plants  bent  their  tendrils 
toward  the  rock,  crept  up  its  sides,  and,  uniting,  rose  as 
one  trunk  upon  its  summit.  I  recall  a  remarkable  instance 
of  this  kind:  the  stone  had  the  bulk  of  a  large  cooking 
range  and  stood  wholly  on  the  surface  of  the  ground; 
two  large  birches,  bound  together  at  their  base,  by  a  stout 
ligament,  rested  on  its  flat  top,  and  sent  out  roots  strong 
and  sinuous  to  seek  nutriment  from  the  earth  around; 
these  roots  overlapped  and  intertwined  and  bound  the 
stone  tightly  as  with  bands  of  iron:  if  one  of  the  trees 
should  be  cut  down,  its  mate  would  also  feel  the  axe, 
and  its  sap  exude  until  decay  set  in:  they  truly  typify 
many  pairs  of  human  lives  whose  habits,  affections, 
prejudices,  occupations,  pleasures,  worries,  and  ills  have 
grown  so  much  together,  that  when  death  takes  one,  the 
other  will  soon  follow — the  feelings,  sentiments,  and 
intimacies  of  a  life-time  cannot  be  severed  without  the  stem 
that  gave  them  birth  and  nourishment  soon  withering." 

Northrup  had  attained  his  object — to  divert  the  con- 
versation from  fever  microbes,  while  preserving  the  sober 


BURIAL  AT  SEA  337 

mood  they  all  were  in.  When  the  conversation  ended, 
Colburn  went  away,  and  then  Northrup  said,  "Brooks, 
I  think  our  lightsome  days  in  this  ship  are  at  an  end: 
in  deference  to  the  feelings  of  not  only  the  Doctor  and  his 
wife,  but  also  in  accord  with  our  own,  we  can  have  no 
more  of  the  amusements  that  helped  pass  so  many  happy 
hours;  and  yet  we  must  not  mope  or  coddle  our  grief — 
that  would  benefit  no  one,  neither  the  living  nor  the  dead. 
Now,  while  avoiding  a  shock  to  any  one's  sensibilities,  I 
think  we  might  turn  the  conversation  into  some  instructive 
as  well  as  entertaining  channel — what  do  you  say  to 
asking  the  Captain  to  give  us  his  views  on  matters  per- 
taining to  his  profession  ?  He  is  an  intelligent  man, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  could  tell  us  some  interesting  things 
about  the  sea — I  don't  mean  stories  or  sailors'  yarns, 
but  something  about  winds,  currents,  and  the  varied 
information  that  the  commander  of  a  ship  should  possess." 

"An  excellent  idea,"  answered  Brooks;  "and  besides 
drawing  us  away  from  saddening  thoughts,  it  will  divert 
the  Captain  from  his  own  troubles.  I  have  noticed  of 
late  that  the  First  Mate  is  again  getting  a  vicious  ascend- 
ency over  the  men — he  is  more  with  them  and  in  a  more 
familiar  way  than  he  was  a  few  weeks  ago;  and  they  are 
more  ready — even  eager  to  jump  about  at  his  orders.  I 
have  smelled  rum  often  on  the  men,  and  I  shouldn't  be 
surprised  if  Hawse  were  supplying  it — to  gain  their  good 
will.  At  any  rate,  the  tide  is  rising  against  the  Captain — 
I  see  it  in  many  little  incidents,  and  he  sees  it  too :  the  men 
are  slighting  those  matters  they  know  he  sets  much  store 
by,  and  it  is  worrying  him." 

And  so  it  was  planned  to  ask  the  Captain  to  deliver  a 
little  discourse  on  matters  pertaining  to  the  sea. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

THE  WINDS  AND  CURRENTS  OF  OCEAN 

IT  WAS  a  clear,  beautiful  afternoon  in  the  Southeast 
Trades,  and  the  ship  was  gliding  smoothly  on — every  sail 
set,  every  brace  taut,  the  decks  cleaned  up,  and  naught  to 
do  but  enjoy  the  delightful  weather  and  soothing  motion  of 
the  vessel :  everything  conduced  to  sleep  or  dreamy  reverie. 

The  passengers  were  gathered  on  the  poop — the  men 
smoking  in  silence,  and  Mrs.  Austin  and  Marguerite 
looking  out  upon  the  rolling  sea  and  thinking  that  in  its 
ceaseless  movement  the  child  of  their  heart  was  forever 
tossing.  A  melancholy  mood  was  upon  the  group,  and 
their  thoughts  roamed  into  the  far  distance — they  were 
speculative,  unreal.  The  Captain  joined  them,  and 
immediately  Northrup  seized  upon  it  to  break  the  sad  spell. 

"Captain,"  he  said;  "remember  you  promised  to  tell  us 
something  about  your  profession,  and  a  more  opportune 
moment  could  not  offer:  we  are  all  in  the  realms  of  space, 
brooding  over  matters  that  are  not  good  for  us,  and  I 
know  of  no  antidote  equal  to  the  realities  of  your  life." 

"I  fear,"  answered  Colburn,  "that  you  won't  find  what 
I  have  to  say  very  interesting;  but  as  you  are  floating  in 
regions  of  air,  I  may  as  well  talk  about  the  winds,  so  that 
at  some  future  day  when  you  read  of  one  of  those  frightful 
disasters  of  the  deep,  you  will  appreciate  the  conditions 
in  which  the  man  is  placed  who  may  have  wrecked  his 
career  as  well  as  his  ship — if  not  his  life. 

338 


THE  WINDS  AND  CURRENTS  OF  OCEAN        339 

"And  what  I  have  to  say  relates  particularly  to  sailing 
ships;  for  although  much  that  the  seaman  needs  to  know 
is  used  on  steamers  and  sailing  ships  alike,  still  its  scope  is 
larger  on  the  latter,  and  its  use  calls  into  play  more  skill 
and  judgment.  The  motive  power  constitutes  the  differ- 
ence. The  captain  of  a  steamer  has  an  engineer  to  run 
and  repair  the  machinery;  but  the  master  of  a  sailing  ship 
must  determine  for  himself  when  to  reef  and  when  to  lie- 
to,  and  if  a  sail  splits  or  spar  carries  away,  he  must  exercise 
his  own  mind  and  use  his  own  resources  to  repair  the 
damage.  The  captain  of  a  steamer  is  largely  dependent 
on  another's  judgment — the  captain  of  the  sailing  ship  is 
ever  exercising  his  own ;  and  the  difference  in  responsibility, 
in  ready  resource,  self-reliance,  and  the  other  qualities 
that  these  diverse  conditions  develop,  is  very  great. 

"  The  winds  being  the  motive  power  of  the  ship,  occupy 
the  foremost  place;  and  the  captain  must  know  them  well — 
where  they  are  favorable,  and  where  baffling,  in  order  to 
profit  by  the  one  and  avoid  the  other.  We  have  passed 
through  the  great  wind  systems  of  the  globe,  so  that  a  few 
about  them  will  fix  their  nature  in  the  mind. 

"  If  we  could  perch  on  some  lofty  eyrie,  and  look  down 
upon  the  earth,  imagined  to  be  studded  with  an  infinity 
of  weather  vanes,  we  should  see  these  vanes  pointing  for- 
ever in  the  same  general  direction  over  two  broad  zones; 
while  between  these  zones  the  vanes  would  hang  listless 
or  flutter  about:  such  are  the  Trade- wind  belts,  separated 
by  the  region  of  calms. 

"Capricious  whirling  is  not  the  characteristic  of  the 
atmosphere — the  wind  bloweth  not  where  it  listeth,  but 
is  directed  into  well  defined  paths  by  natural  forces. 

"Imagine  the  earth  a  smooth,  round  mass  of  land — at 


340      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

rest — and  uniformly  heated:  the  air  will  also  be  at  rest, 
for  no  cause  exists  to  give  it  motion;  but  let  the  sun  strike 
down,  as  now,  on  the  torrid  zone — the  land  will  be  heated, 
and  in  turn  will  heat  the  air  above  it,  which  will  rise  and 
spread  out  at  great  altitudes.  The  heating  will  be  less  and 
less  as  we  approach  the  poles,  with  a  corresponding 
condition  of  the  air  overlying  the  earth :  the  state  of  affairs 
will  be  like  that  of  an  open  fire  place,  which  creates  an 
indraught  from  the  adjacent  parts  of  the  room — the  cool, 
heavy  air  of  the  temperate  zones  will  flow  in  to  replace  the 
heated,  light  air  rising  from  the  equatorial  belt;  and  thus 
will  be  established  the  circuit  of  the  winds — upward  at 
the  equator,  toward  each  pole  in  the  higher  regions  of 
space  (with  a  gradual  descent  to  earth),  and  then  from  both 
north  and  south  along  the  surface  to  the  equator.  In  the 
language  of  Mr.  Brooks,  this  would  be  the  cycle  of  the  air 
if  the  earth  were  at  rest;  but  with  the  earth's  actual  motion 
from  west  to  east,  the  direction  is  modified — that  is,  a 
current  of  air  proceeding  from  either  pole  toward  the 
equator,  successively  meets  parts  of  the  earth's  surface 
moving  faster  than  itself:  it  is  as  if  its  flow  fell  more  and 
more  behind  the  meridian  line,  or  a  direct  course  across 
the  land  over  which  it  blows;  or,  as  if  (the  earth  being  at 
rest)  the  current  of  air  were  pushed  bodily  from  east  toward 
the  west,  and  with  increasing  force  at  each  advance  toward 
the  equator. 

"  This  reduces  the  matter  to  compounding  two  forces — 
one  from  the  pole  (that  is,  the  actual  velocity  of  the  wind), 
the  other  the  simulated  push  from  the  east  (that  is,  the 
retard  of  the  mass  of  moving  air  relatively  to  the  real 
motion  of  the  earth);  and  the  result  is  the  direction  of 
the  winds  we  feel — the  Northeast  and  Southeast  Trades. 


THE  WINDS  AND  CURRENTS  OF  OCEAN  341 

"The  velocity  of  one  component,  that  of  any  given 
parallel  of  latitude,  is  constant;  but  the  velocity  of  the  wind 
from  the  pole  is  variable:  so  that  their  resultant — the 
actual  direction  of  the  wind,  veers  and  hauls  a  good  deal 
in  its  own  quadrant. 

"The  Trade- wind  belts  gird  the  earth  at  the  equator 
and  on  each  side  as  far  as  the  twenty-eighth  parellel ;  but 
the  limits  are  not  the  same  everywhere:  and  moreover, 
the  whole  mass  of  air  constituting  this  system  sways  to  and 
fro  with  a  pendulous  motion  that  keeps  time  to  the  move- 
ment of  the  sun  toward  the  solstices. 

"The  Trades  would  complete  the  circuit  of  the  globe 
with  the  same  even  flow  they  have  on  the  ocean,  but  for 
the  high  mountain  ranges  and  arid  sandy  plains  that  pro- 
duce those  extremes  of  temperature  and  moisture  which 
break  up  all  regularity  of  wind. 

"  On  the  polar  sides  of  the  Trades  are  two  other  systems 
— the  great  west  winds.  After  leaving  the  Southeast 
Trades  in  the  Pacific,  we  ran  in  toward  the  coast  of  Pata- 
gonia before  the  westerly  system  of  the  southern  hemisphere; 
but  these  winds  have  never  the  equability  or  regularity  of 
the  Trades:  they  generally  blow  from  westerly  points  of 
the  compass,  that  is  all;  and  are  boisterous,  squally,  full 
of  gales  and  bad  weather. 

"Besides  these  grand  systems  of  wind,  there  are  other 
movements  of  the  air,  which  may  be  divided  into  two 
classes — those  peculiar  to  certain  localities,  and  rotary 
storms :  I  shall  leave  the  latter  until  we  approach  the  place 
they  arise — the  West  Indies. 

"  Of  the  former,  there  are  coast  winds,  and  we  had  a  short 
experience  of  such  coming  down  the  California  coast — 
they  blow  there  continually  from  the  northwest. 


342      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"  Then  there  are  the  land  and  sea  breezes  of  the  tropics — 
winds  that  blow  from  the  land  toward  the  sea  during  the 
night,  and  from  the  sea  toward  the  land  during  the  day, 
because  the  sea  and  land,  each  in  turn,  is  unequally  heated : 
these  winds  enable  a  ship  to  work  into  port. 

"Again,  there  is  the  pampero — a  gale  peculiar  to  the 
lower  part  of  South  America:  we  had  a  sample  of  one 
coming  out  of  the  Rio  de  la  Plata. 

"Near  high  island  peaks,  such  as  Teneriffe,  there  are 
violent,  flawy  winds — the  ship  may  be  one  minute  becalmed 
and  suddenly  a  breeze  springs  up  that  only  reefed  topsails 
will  stand:  it  is  always  anxious  sailing  in  such  places. 

"  The  monsoons  of  India,  China,  and  Australia  blow  for 
six  months  in  one  direction  and  then  for  six  months  in  the 
opposite  direction:  they  are  simply  the  Trades  diverted 
from  their  natural  course  during  a  part  of  the  year  by  the 
abnormal  heating  of  the  Asiatic  and  Australian  continents. 

"  Regions  of  calm  are  the  quagmires  of  the  ocean,  through 
which  ships  must  often  flounder:  their  worst  stretch  is 
west  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama — a  long  tongue  thrust 
out  into  the  Pacific.  Quite  a  wide  belt  is  also  here  in  the 
Atlantic  between  the  two  Trade-wind  systems.  The 
areas  of  tropical  calm,  or  (properly  speaking)  light  variable 
winds,  are  characterized  by  heavy  rains,  violent  squalls, 
and  frightful  thunder  and  lightning — a  pyrotechnic  display 
nowhere  else  to  be  seen.  It  is  also  in  them  that  one  suffers 
most  from  excessive  moisture  in  the  air.  The  sun  beats 
down  on  a  warm  sea,  and  the  vapor  rises  freely;  there  is 
little  wind,  and  it  accumulates  to  overload  the  atmosphere; 
the  heat  is  great,  and  this  enables  the  air  to  hold  a  great 
quantity  of  vapor — one  is  enveloped  in  hot  moist  air,  which 
prevents  evaporation  from  the  body  and  radiation  from 


THE  WINDS  AND  CURRENTS  OF  OCEAN         343 

the  earth — it  makes  him  limp,  irritable,  and  nervous. 

"Then  this  surcharged  air  rises  and  is  cooled — upper 
cold  currents  cross  it — and  the  vapor  is  condensed  and 
comes  down  in  torrential  rain  with  brilliant  electrical 
accompaniment.  The  atmosphere  is  cleansed  and  light- 
ened of  its  burden — evaporation  begins  anew  and  goes  on 
until  the  air  can  bear  no  more,  and  again  we  have  the  down- 
pour with  storm,  squall,  thunder,  and  lightning.  All 
this  is  good  for  vegetation,  and  accordingly  we  find  the 
growth  rank  and  luxuriant;  but  man  does  not  shoot  up 
like  a  weed,  nor  creep  like  a  vine,  and  so  this  hot-house 
forcing  does  not  agree  with  him — he  wilts. 

"There  is,  of  course,  a  relation  between  the  velocity 
of  the  wind — that  is,  the  speed  with  which  a  mass  of  air 
travels  from  one  point  to  another — and  the  pressure  it 
exerts  on  any  surface  in  its  path :  a  light  wind  has  a  velocity 
of  five  miles  an  hour  and  pressure  of  one-eighth  of  a  pound 
per  square  foot ;  a  stiff  breeze,  a  velocity  of  twenty-five  miles 
and  pressure  of  three  pounds;  a  gale  blowing  fifty  miles  an 
hour  has  a  force  of  twelve  pounds  per  square  foot;  and  a 
hurricane  with  the  velocity  of  a  hundred  miles  an  hour 
has  a  force  of  nearly  fifty  pounds  per  square  foot. 

"A  ship  would  be  reduced  to  bare  poles  in  this  last 
case;  nevertheless,  her  masts,  yards,  hull  and  rigging 
aggregate  a  large  area,  and  under  the  pressure  of  fifty 
pounds  per  square  foot,  she  would  drive  before  the  storm 
regardless  of  helm!  But  take  the  case  of  a  stiff  breeze: 
the  Wenonah  spreads  about  twenty  thousand  square  feet 
of  canvas;  with  the  wind  on  the  quarter  and  all  sail  set, 
she  would  be  driven  through  the  water  by  a  pressure  of 
sixty  thousand  pounds  on  her  sail  area  alone,  and  this,  is 
what  gives  her  best  speed  in  a  moderate  sea.  It  is  a 


344  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

tremendous  force  compared  with  our  auxiliary  steam 
power — a  capricious  force,  besides,  that  one  must  adapt 
himself  to,  not  control  with  throttle  valve  or  water  gauge ! 

"As  there  are  steady  winds  blowing  through  the  atmo- 
sphere, and  rapid  rivers  coursing  over  the  land,  so  there 
are  currents  both  swift  and  sluggish  pervading  the  ocean. 
Two  broad  streams,  one  in  each  great  ocean,  flow  beneath 
the  Trade  winds — in  fact,  are  (in  part)  due  to  them,  the 
friction  of  the  wind  upon  the  water  carrying  the  latter 
along  with  it  to  considerable  depth:  arriving  at  the  conti- 
nents in  their  path,  the  streams  divide  and  skirt  the  coasts 
until  they  reach  the  temperate  zones,  where  they  turn 
eastward ;  again,  on  reaching  the  western  sides  of  the  conti- 
nents from  which  they  started,  they  are  deflected  toward 
the  equator.  Thus  we  find  four  great  elliptical  circuits 
of  ocean  flow — one  in  the  North  Atlantic,  a  second  in  the 
South  Atlantic;  a  third  in  the  North  Pacific,  and  a  fourth 
in  the  South  Pacific:  and  all  with  the  same  general  set — 
west  in  equatorial  regions,  toward  the  poles  along  the 
eastern  coasts  of  Asia  and  America,  east  in  temperate  zones, 
and  toward  the  equator  along  the  western  coasts  of 
America,  Europe,  and  Africa.  In  this  round,  the  water 
becomes  alternately  heated  and  cooled,  which,  as  with  the 
air,  gives  it  an  impetus  on  its  circuit.  This  grand  flow  is 
broken  up  by  promontories  and  islands  into  every  kind  of 
oceanic  creek,  brook,  and  rivulet — some  are  cool,  some  are 
warm;  others  are  swift  and  more  are  slow:  all  vary  in  depth. 

"And  it  behooves  the  mariner  to  know  them  well  and 
take  good  account  of  their  set  and  velocity,  lest  they  drift 
him  into  disaster.  We  passed  through  several  of  these 
ocean  streams,  but  you  did  not  know  it — they  had  no 
visible  confines,  and  their  placid  flow  awakened  no  interest 


THE  WINDS  AND  CURRENTS  OF  OCEAN         345 

except  in  the  one  who  had  to  reckon  with  them.  In  the 
North  Atlantic,  however,  we  shall  come  to  a  current  that 
is  the  marvel  of  the  deep — the  Gulf  Stream,  whose  clear, 
blue,  warm  water  is  as  sharply  divided  from  the  cold, 
green,  muddy  polar  current  that  flows  beside  it,  as  if 
separated  by  a  solid  wall.  Off  Hatteras  you  will  see  this 
wonder:  I  have  crossed  it  many  times,  and  experienced 
what  you  will  find  stated  about  it  in  scientific  books  and 
sailing  directions :  the  latter  are  the  more  reliable,  however 
— they  are  for  practical  use;  the  former  are  tinged  with  the 
speculative  color  of  the  theorist. 

"  In  thus  talking  about  winds  and  currents,  I  am  really 
telling  you  what  the  master  of  a  ship  should  know;  and  I 
may  as  well  go  a  little  further  in  the  same  vein,  as  his 
knowledge  is  much  more  varied  than  is  generally  supposed. 

"As  calms  are  the  quagmires,  so  fog  banks  are  the 
jungle  of  the  ocean,  through  which  ships  must  grope  their 
way — tooting  horn  or  steam  whistle  and  keeping  a  sharp 
look-out  for  other  ships  hidden  in  the  mist. 

"The  abandoned  derelict,  sodden  and  half  submerged 
by  the  swash  of  waves,  is  another  source  of  anxiety,  es- 
pecially in  the  gloom  of  night. 

"  Then  there  is  that  other  wreck  with  human  lives  cling- 
ing to  it:  the  storm  is  raging  and  you  must  tax  your  in- 
genuity to  rescue  those  men  without  loss  of  your  own; 
it  is  a  dreadful  situation  to  be  placed  in — to  determine 
which  life  may  probably  be  lost.  The  boat's  crew  will  go — 
O  yes,  it  is  never  a  question  with  them — the  hesitation  is 
in  your  mind,  and  you  must  not  weigh  the  chances  too 
nicely;  time  presses,  and  yet  life  hangs  in  the  balance 
whichever  scale  descends. 

"  Seamanship  and  navigation  are  of  course  the  important 


346      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

branches  of  a  sailor's  education,  but  both  cover  a  wide 
range;  the  former  has  generally  to  do  with  handling  the 
ship  under  sail  or  steam,  in  storm  or  bad  weather,  on  the 
high  seas,  and  in  narrow  waters;  navigation  includes  all 
that  deals  with  the  course  and  position  of  the  vessel — the 
one  to  be  laid  with  reference  to  winds,  currents  and  dangers 
of  the  deep;  the  other  to  be  determined  by  daily  observa- 
tion of  the  sun  as  well  as  by  dead  reckoning.  The  mag- 
netism of  the  ship  produces  compass  errors  which  must  be 
found  by  the  procedure  you  saw  in  the  Pacific,  and  also 
daily  on  a  few  points  that  may  be  used. 

"Again:  it  is  no  small  part  of  the  seaman's  training  to 
predict  the  weather  from  the  signs  of  the  sky  in  connection 
with  indications  of  the  barometer  and  wet  and  dry  bulbs: 
he  should  be  able  to  scent  the  gale  afar  off  as  well  as  the 
coming  shift  of  wind ;  and  in  particular  he  must  know  the 
laws  of  revolving  storms  and  how  to  apply  them  intelli- 
gently. 

"  Though  apparently  a  simple  matter,  the  correct  knowl- 
edge and  ready  application  of  the  rules  of  the  road  at  sea, 
are  among  the  most  important  parts  of  the  seaman's 
education:  collision,  disaster,  and  death  follow  from 
ignorance  of  the  rules,  and  sometimes  even  from  following 
them  literally.  Circumstances  arise — in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye — where  quick,  intelligent  action  will  avoid 
collision  by  a  sensible  manoeuvre  not  covered  by  any  rule. 
The  rules  themselves  are  unequivocal;  and  if  both  sides 
followed  them,  all  would  go  well ;  but  the  human  element — 
the  ignorance,  stupidity,  and  wilfulness  of  man  are  not 
considered  in  framing  them,  and  hence  their  literal  applica- 
tion often  results  in  misfortune.  The  strict  maintenance 
of  running  lights  is  closely  allied  to  the  rules  of  the  road. 


THE  WINDS  AND  CURRENTS  OF  OCEAN         347 

"Familiarity  with  the  international  code  of  signals  is 
essential  to  every  sailor:  whatever  his  native  tongue,  the 
language  of  this  code  enables  him  to  communicate  with  a 
fellow  seaman  either  in  distress^aramicable  greeting.  /  ( 

"But  all  the  foregoing  has  to  do  with  deep  sea  sailing:  ' 
on  nearing  land,  another  body  of  information  comes  into 
play — study  of  sailing  directions,  to  fix  in  the  mind  the 
configuration  of  the  coast;  of  charts,  to  see  the  shoaling 
of  water  and  location  of  rocks  and  hidden  dangers ;  of  light- 
lists,  to  learn  the  character,  color,  and  visibility  of  those 
needed  for  running  in  at  night ;  and  of  tides,  beacons,  and 
buoys  to  direct  the  ship's  course. 

"  She  draws  in  apace — a  mist  obscures  the  horizon,  and 
the  deep-sea  lead  is  set  going  to  warn  of  danger:  you  heard 
its  doleful  sound,  'watch-ho- watch!'  at  intervals  through- 
out the  night  off  the  coast  of  Uruguay.  Closer  shore,  the 
glass  tube  replaces  the  heavy  lead,  and  by  the  amount  of  its 
discoloration  the  depth  of  water  is  ascertained.  The  land 
peers  through  the  haze,  and  now  with  cross-bearings  on 
its  prominent  points,  and  soundings  by  the  hand  lead,  the 
ship  is  directed  toward  the  harbor.  She  sails  on — no  pilot 
appears — and  the  Captain  is  obliged  to  take"  her  up  the 
narrow  channel,  and  anchor  her  in  the  bay,  or  berth  her  at 
a  wharf. 

"Bringing  a  ship  alongside  a  wharf  is  a  crucial  test  of 
the  seaman — it  brings  out  his  skill,  alertness,  and  self- 
possession:  it  is  an  exhibition,  and  he  is  the  star  actor. 
The  owners  and  others  are  there  to  watch  the  manoeuvre; 
and  woe  betide  the  captain  who  fails,  whether  through 
lubberly  action,  or  the  effect  of  some  treacherous  eddy- 
current,  or  other  misfortune,  that  neither  seamanship  nor 
forethought  could  provide  against:  the  actual  performance 


348      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

is  all  the  spectators  consider,  and  their  contemptuous 
criticism  is  more  stinging  than  the  hiss  of  the  gallery  at  the 
actor  who  has  bungled. 

"Finally,  the  responsibility  for  the  ship  and  crew  are 
solely  the  Captain's — he  shares  it  with  no  one:  he  cannot 
divest  himself  of  it  if  he  would,  nor  can  he  seek  advice  from 
those  he  must  control.  It  is  a  little  world  to  be  governed 
by  one  man,  and  to  do  this  successfully,  that  man  must 
have  not  only  professional  knowledge,  but  also  tact,  firm- 
ness, geniality,  and  fair  dealing. 

"The  sailor's  career  is  complicated  and  varied  in  what 
he  knows,  in  what  he  does,  and  in  what  he  has  to  apply 
himself  to — far  beyond  what  people  ashore  think  it  is; 
and  it  makes  of  him  a  hardy,  bold,  practical  man." 


CHAPTER  XIX 
RUNNING 

THERE  are  two  kinds  of  running  at  sea — the  physical 
and  the  psychological :  a  ship  runs  before  the  gale  under  low 
sail,  when  there  is  plenty  of  sea  room;  and  it  is  also  in 
stormy  conditions — a  mental  storm,  that  the  sensibilities 
drive  before  the  torturing  pursuit  of  some  brutal  force. 

The  crew  of  an  American  ship  are  rarely  all  Americans : 
it  is  not  made  up  of  the  hardy,  self-reliant,  self-respecting 
natives  that  manned  the  fishing  smacks  off  Cape  Cod  in 
days  of  yore — quite  the  contrary:  even  in  the  smallest 
crews,  representatives  of  many  nationalities  will  be  found — 
a  heterogeneous  mixture  of  prejudices,  passions,  and 
smoldering  feuds;  the  Jew  and  the  Gentile  are  also  there — 
full  of  inherent  antagonism. 

The  life  in  common  affords  a  fertile  field  for  indulging 
individual  traits:  where  the  same  persons  are  thrown 
together  day  after  day,  the  strain  upon  mutual  forbearance 
is  put  to  a  severe  test.  If  training  and  education  do  not 
weld  the  members  closely — worse,  if  fractious  elements 
compose  the  links  (as  in  a  ship's  company),  then  indeed 
is  the  union  likely  to  give  way  at  many  a  point;  the  strong- 
est, quickest,  wittiest — the  most  alert  of  mind  and  nimble 
of  limb — the  one  possessed  of  any  salient  quality  (es- 
pecially the  physical)  will  assert  his  domination  over  the 
whole.  On  shore,  frequent  association  leads  to  ease  of 
intercourse — foibles  become  known  and  allowance  is  made 

349 


350      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

for  them:  the  regular  customer  or  steady  boarder  receives 
more  consideration  than  the  casual  purchaser  or  transient 
guest.  On  board  ship,  association  is  the  most  intimate 
possible — foibles  become  known  there  also;  but  oft  times 
it  is  not  to  make  allowance  for  them — but  to  expose  them 
and  make  them  conspicuous  by  every  means  that  can 
wound  the  sensibilities  of  their  unfortunate  possessor: 
he  is  in  a  crude  community  which  only  the  restraints  of 
discipline  keep  within  bounds. 

In  the  Wenonah's  crew  there  were  French  and  Spaniards, 
Irish  and  Italians;  the  negro  and  the  Jap  were  there;  and 
also  a  Russian — one  Ivan  Kaulbars,  and  a  native  of 
Tuscany — Carlo  Castagnuolo:  these  names  indicate  their 
respective  natures — the  one  harsh  and  rugged,  the  other 
smooth  and  supple.  Ivan  was  thirty  years  of  age — a  sea- 
soned sailor,  stocky  and  powerful :  he  came  aboard  with  a 
full  beard  of  the  anarchist  type  and  a  head  of  bristling  hair. 
The  Captain  made  him  keep  both  trimmed,  so  that  he  had 
much  of  the  convict's  appearance — short  stubble  and  low 
forehead.  His  eyes  were  fierce  and  restless,  and  his  show 
of  teeth  gave  him  an  expression  of  savagery :  the  animal — 
ferocious  and  prowling — was  present  in  every  feature. 
The  Italian,  on  the  other  hand,  had  the  delicate  traits  of 
his  race:  he  was  but  twenty-two — slender  and  lithe,  with 
a  clear  complexion,  smooth  skin,  fine  eyes  and  a  Roman 
nose.  This  last  proved  his  misfortune,  though  deemed  a 
feature  to  be  proud  of — Ivan  took  it  to  be  Jewish.  Now 
between  Russian  and  Jew  there  is  an  abiding  antipathy; 
and  although  Ivan  soon  learned  the  error  of  his  first 
impression,  still  the  prejudice  remained,  to  give  sting  to 
his  actions  toward  Carlo. 

Carlo  had  never  been  to  sea:  whatever  his  occupation 


RUNNING  351 

in  San  Francisco,  he  got  stranded,  and  sought  work  on  the 
Wenonah  as  a  means  of  returning  to  New  York,  en  route 
to  his  sunny  Italy.  His  hands  were  soft  and  his  feelings 
sensitive,  but  he  early  went  aloft  and  did  his  work  without 
plaint:  he  had  a  quick  intelligence  and  learned  rapidly; 
but  he  was  taciturn,  kept  much  to  himself,  and  while 
companionable  with  those  who  were  congenial  to  him,  yet 
he  sought  nobody. 

Ivan  had  all  the  swagger  and  prestige  of  one  at  home  in 
his  surroundings — Carlo,  the  timidity  and  uncertainty  of 
one  entirely  new  to  both  his  work  and  his  associates. 
Ivan,  though  a  sailor  of  long  standing,  was  neither  capable 
nor  energetic:  in  reefing,  he  was  not  found  at  the  weather 
earing  where  skill  is  required,  nor  in  the  bunt  where  heavy 
canvas  must  be  handled,  but  on  the  yard  arm  where  the  sail 
is  light  and  only  reef  points  to  tie;  in  loading  cargo,  he 
.shouldered  the  lightest  burden  and  was  slow  to  move;  dur- 
ing night  watches  he  sought  a  snug  corner  and  lay  down  to 
sleep;  he  would  rub  eternally  on  a  piece  of  brass  already 
shining,  but  never  attack  anything  covered  with  verdegris ; 
he  was  awkward  at  drills,  but  first  at  mess  and  foremost  in 
all  growls — in  a  word,  he  was  a  lazy,  vicious,  incompetent 
bully. 

The  struggle  to  come  was  wholly  unequal:  the  boon 
companions  of  the  one  would  encourage  every  assault, 
the  sympathizers  of  the  other  were  too  cowardly  to  show 
their  feelings. 

To  avoid  a  quarrel,  Carlo  overlooked  many  a  provoca- 
tion, or  bore  it  patiently :  not  that  he  lacked  courage  either 
physical  or  moral — he  would  probably  show  both  where  the 
bully  would  flinch;  but  the  attacks  were  so  like  the  stings 
of  gnats  (yet  in  the  aggregate  maddening),  that  he  did  not 


352      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

know  how  to  resent  them  without  appearing  childish  and 
ridiculous:  they  always  raised  a  laugh,  and  to  show  irrita- 
tion would  only  evoke  a  guffaw.  Ivan  and  Carlo  were  in 
the  same  watch,  and  therefore  thrown  much  together: 
Ivan  pecked  on  Carlo — pecked  as  the  game  cock  pecks  at 
his  prostrate  foe;  not  that  torn  flesh  resulted — O  no,  only 
lacerated  feelings — the  spiteful  word,  half  jocular  and 
wholly  tantalizing:  he  was  Dago,  with  taunts  of  a  hand 
organ  career;  or  signorina,  with  soft  ways  mimicked  to  the 
infinite  amusement  of  the  watch;  or  sheeney,  with  raised 
palms  denoting  the  deprecatory  Jew  driving  a  hard  bargain. 
Not  a  personal  quality  nor  racial  trait  but  was  turned  to 
laughter,  and  in  a  laughing  way;  and  all  the  time  Carlo  was 
in  pain,  but  tried  to  look  as  if  it  were  only  a  joke. 

Patience  is  an  admirable  quality,  especially  at  sea;  to 
show  annoyance  at  small  things  is  only  to  invite  a  flow  of 
torture:  the  hornets  are  many — the  assailed,  but  one. 

A  man  with  pretentious  peculiarities — a  dude,  a  snob,  a 
crank,  or  abnormal  personality  of  any  kind,  will  have  his 
ridiculous  affectations  well  wrung  out  of  him  on  board  ship : 
it  is  a  plain  life  which  finds  expression  in  direct  speech. 
This  is  the  good  side  of  the  situation,  but  there  is  a  reverse; 
no  good  is  attained  by  humiliating  and  harassing  one  such 
as  Carlo  with  no  offensive  traits — a  gentle  nature  that 
merely  affords  an  opportunity  to  a  gross  one  to  practise  its 
brutalities. 

And  while  it  is  well  to  take  in  good  part  many  a  joke, 
rude  though  it  often  is,  still  there  is  a  point  where  endur- 
ance lapses  into  weakness.  The  person  who  is  constantly 
running  another,  is  broadly  streaked  with  the  animal 
nature — essentially  coarse:  dogs,  cats,  and  pigs — bird  and 
beast  of  every  kind  exhibit  the  trait;  one  tries  to  dominate 


RUNNING  353 

the  others — it  barks,  snaps,  bites,  pecks  or  grunts  in  quarrel- 
some temper,  and  this  is  also  the  method  of  the  person  who 
tries  to  run  another.  He  is  spurred  on  by  those  who  have 
equally  low  instincts — the  class  which  delights  in  a  cock 
fight,  a  dog  fight,  a  bull  fight,  or  a  prize  fight:  it  matters 
little  who  the  combatants  are,  so  that  they  are  tearing, 
maiming,  mutilating  each  other — making  the  blood  flow 
from  bruised  and  battered  flesh.  Is  this  other  than  the 
beast  let  loose  ?  And  wherein  does  it  differ  from  running? 
Only  in  degree — not  in  kind:  a  person  of  refined  feelings 
could  never  find  pleasure  in  the  brutal  fisticuff  or  cutting 
word. 

Ivan  grew  more  coarse  and  cruel  toward  Carlo,  to  the 
greater  amusement  of  his  shipmates :  not  that  they  had  any- 
thing against  Carlo — he  made  no  pretensions;  but  they 
instinctively  felt  that  he  was  of  different  fibre  and  mould 
and  actuated  by  more  decent  impulses;  and  this  was 
enough  to  excite  their  antipathy:  besides,  they  were  eager 
for  the  open  fight  they  saw  looming  through  all  these  jibes 
and  jeers. 

The  pre-arranged  fight,  carried  out  according  to  fixed 
rules,  differs  in  no  wise  from  the  duel :  the  weapons  merely 
differ — one  are  fists,  the  other  pistols ;  and  both  are  wholly 
indefensible  as  means  of  satisfying  injured  feelings.  The 
resentment  due  to  injury  has  somewhat  cooled,  and  if  there 
is  time  to  arrange  for  personal  encounter,  satisfaction  can 
usually  be  sought  by  legal  or  established  methods.  The 
mere  overpowering  or  death  of  one  of  the  combatants  does 
not  settle  the  case  on  its  merits :  nothing  is  determined  but 
that  the  victor  has  the  stronger  muscle,  greater  skill,  surer 
aim,  or  some  other  physical  quality.  Indeed  the  first 
aggressor  may  be  the  subsequent  victor,  and  then  the 


354  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

injury  is  doubled.  The  duel,  whether  with  fists  or  pistols, 
is  the  method  of  the  bull-dog  or  any  other  dumb  animal 
that  cannot  reason  about  the  wrong  inflicted,  and  settle 
by  punishing  the  aggressor. 

But  the  blow  in  hot  blood — when  tingling  under  the 
nameless  epithet,  or  pricked  into  action  by  the  nettles  that 
sting  and  sting  until  the  sensibilities  are  aflame — that  is 
another  thing;  and  such  a  blow  is  an  effective  way  of  sup- 
pressing the  bully:  strike  him  hard  and  pitilessly  until  all 
his  swagger — his  gnat-like  pestering  comes  out  with  his 
vicious  blood:  it  will  not  have  to  be  done  a  second  time, 
and  now  do  it  well. 

And  there  is  no  excuse  for  a  brow-beating  blackguard 
going  about,  making  any  one's  life  intolerable.  Should 
it  be  borne?  Certainly  not.  The  victim  cannot  always 
appeal  to  legal  means  or  the  constituted  authorities  to 
redress  the  grievance,  or  prevent  its  continuance:  it  is  too 
trivial,  and  to  tell  of  it  is  tame  beside  feeling  it.  You  can- 
not describe  the  recurring  buzz  of  the  mosquito  throughout 
the  night — just  grazing  your  face  and  whizzing  in  your  ear 
every  time  you  are  on  the  point  of  dropping  to  sleep,  only 
to  slap  at  him — miss — and  wait  for  the  next  assault;  but 
it  all  maddens,  and  weary  and  worn,  you  get  up  in  the 
morning  unequal  to  the  task  of  the  day.  Such  is  the 
practise  of  the  bully  who  tries  to  run  another — all  the  mean 
taunts  possible — playing  upon  one's  name,  devising  nick- 
names, sneering  at  one's  peculiarities,  everything  that  will 
make  him  ridiculous  in  the  eyes  of  others  and  raise  a  laugh 
at  his  expense. 

Carlo  knew  that  Ivan's  fists  would  make  short  work  of 
him — black  eyes,  teeth  knocked  out,  painful  bruises,  and 
other  injuries,  with  hardly  a  chance  to  hit  back:  what  could 


RUNNING  355 

he  do  against  a  brutal  pounding  with  only  small  hands  and 
soft  muscle  ?  On  the  other  hand,  to  go  on  quietly,  endur- 
ing greater  abuse  and  more  of  it  every  day,  was  intolerable; 
before  they  reached  New  York,  he  would  be  the  despised 
butt  of  the  ship.  He  made  up  his  mind — he  put  a  keen 
edge  on  his  sheath-knife. 

A  few  days  afterward,  the  watch  was  on  the  forecastle, 
and  all  in  jesting  mood.  Carlo  was  the  scapegoat  as  usual, 
whom  Ivan  lashed  with  tongue  and  gesture,  to  the  merri- 
ment of  all.  At  length  one  of  the  men  taunted  Carlo  with, 
"  Why  do  you  stand  it — why  don't  you  hit  back  ?"  It  was 
Ivan  who  answered,  "  Because  there's  no  sand  in  the  son 
of  a—" 

Quick  as  a  tiger,  Carlo  sprang  on  him — knife  out,  to 
bury  in  his  heart:  but  Ivan  was  equally  quick — threw  up 
his  arm  to  parry  the  cut — and  got  the  full  length  of  the  steel 
in  his  fleshy  shoulder.  Before  Carlo  could  carry  out  his 
intent  to  finish  the  brute,  he  was  seized  and  held  by  the 
other  men.  It  changed  their  opinion  of  him  in  a  flash: 
he  was  now  to  be  feared — they  thought  him  a  milk-sop, 
but  he  showed  fight. 

Doctor  Austin  was  sent  for:  the  man  bled  freely  and 
looked  ghastly;  the  Doctor  stopped  the  flow  and  cared  for 
him  as  was  necessary.  In  a  few  days  he  pronounced  him 
out  of  danger,  but  that  the  wound  would  require  some  time 
to  heal,  and  that  probably  it  would  continue  a  weak  spot 
to  prevent  any  great  effort  with  the  arm. 

Meanwhile,  the  Captain  had  called  Carlo  to  the  mast 
and  heard  his  story:  it  struck  him  as  being  entirely  truth- 
ful, and  the  finale  appealed  so  strongly  to  his  sense  of 
summary  justice,  that — much  to  the  astonishment  of  all 
hands — he  let  Carlo  go  forward  without  even  a  word  of 


356      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

censure.  This  emboldened  the  men  and  enhanced  their 
regard  for  Carlo,  so  that  when  the  Captain  called  one  after 
another  aft  to  learn  all  he  could  about  the  case,  they  told 
everything:  the  bully  had  been  cowed,  and  they  no  longer 
feared  him;  and  such  is  ever  the  fickle  mob,  whether  on 
ship  or  shore.  They  worship  the  idol  only  when  on  his 
pedestal,  but  stamp  on  it  when  lying  prone ! 

When  the  investigation  was  over,  the  Doctor  said, 
"  Captain,  I  guess  you  have  a  case  on  hand,  as  well  as  I  ?" 
"O  no,"  answered  Colburn:  "mine  is  finished — Carlo 
left  nothing  for  me  to  do." 

The  Doctor  looked  surprised,  so  the  Captain  related  the 
whole  feud  from  beginning  to  end  as  he  had  learned  it; 
for  all  the  men's  stories  agreed  in  substance:  then  he  added, 
"  Ivan  got  no  more  than  he  deserved :  he  hounded  Carlo 
until  his  life  was  a  hell.  The  vile  name  he  called  him  was 
but  the  spark  to  the  explosion:  to  revenge  it  with  a  blow 
of  the  fist  would  only  afford  Ivan  an  opportunity  to  give 
Carlo  a  brutal  beating — the  difference  between  them  is  so 
great :  one,  a  powerful  man — the  other,  a  soft  boy  scarcely 
developed.  To  go  on  without  striking  back  was  impossible 
and  to  have  the  ship's  officers  wholly  stop  the  abuse  was 
impracticable.  The  scurrilous  epithet  in  itself  might  not 
have  warranted  a  knife  thrust  (and  yet  I  don't  see  how  else 
he  could  have  avenged  the  injury);  but  in  view  of  all  the 
previous  provocation,  I  think  he  did  only  what  was  open 
to  him  to  do ;  and  if  he  had  killed  Ivan,  I  for  one  (on  a  jury) 
would  have  brought  in  a  verdict  of  justifiable  homicide. 
Carlo  used  the  actual  knife,  but  how  many  stabs  had  Ivan 
given  him  with  a  much  keener  weapon !  Ivan  was  the  real 
aggressor  and  by  many  offenses — Carlo  only  the  infuriated 
victim  goaded  to  the  open  act. 


RUNNING  357 

"As  between  nations  there  are  affairs  that  will  not  be 
submitted  to  arbitration,  so  among  men  there  are  words 
and  actions — it  may  be  a  whole  line  of  conduct  (as  in  this 
case) — which  cannot  be  atoned  for,  or  corrected,  by  appeal 
to  law  or  the  constituted  authorities :  fine  or  imprisonment 
does  not  fit  the  case.  If  you  are  walking  with  your  wife, 
and  a  blackguard  steps  up  and  insults  her,  you  knock  him 
down;  and  when  you  are  taken  to  court  for  breach  of  the 
peace,  I  guess  the  judge  will  let  you  off  easy — it  is  the 
American's  tribute  to  the  fitness  of  the  act." 

"  Yes,  Captain,  you  are  right ;  and  your  view  of  Carlo's 
case  seems  to  me  most  sensible  and  just." 

And  so  Carlo  was  not  troubled  more,  but  went  on  in  the 
same  even  tenor  of  his  ways,  now  held  in  high  regard  by 
all  the  men.  Such  is  the  profit  and  lesson  of  maintaining 
your  own  rights — when  you  have  a  sensible  man  to  deal 
with,  such  as  Colburn  was.  The  Jacob  Hawses  of  the 
sea,  in  their  routine,  unreasoning  way,  would  have  put 
Carlo  in  irons  at  once  for  the  mere  overt  act!  They  judge 
by  that  alone,  unconscious  of  the  gross  injustice  it  often 
inflicts. 


CHAPTER  XX 

CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  ON  VARIOUS  MATTERS 

He  knew  the  chart 

Of  the  sailor's  heart — 

All  its  pleasures  and  its  griefs; 

All  its  shallows  and  rocky  reefs; 

All  those  secret  currents  that  flow 

With  such  resistless  undertow, 

And  lift  and  drift  with  terrible  force 

The  will  from  its  moorings  and  its  course. 

— Longfellow. 

IT  WAS  one  of  those  delightful  days  so  frequent  in  the 
South  Atlantic:  the  sea  was  ruffled  by  only  such  undula- 
tions as  would  save  it  from  the  condition  called  glassy; 
the  sky  was  clear;  the  temperature  genial;  and  the  breeze, 
the  soft  velvety  Trades.  The  ship  was  making  only  seven 
knots  with  everything  spread — square  sails  and  staysails. 
Other  ships  were  in  sight,  dotting  the  light  blue  of  sky  and 
sea  with  their  white  canvas,  some  standing  to  the  north- 
ward and  some  to  the  southwest — it  was  the  cross-roads  of 
ocean  traffic,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  equator.  On  the  weary 
stretch  from  Callao  to  the  coast  of  Patagonia,  the  Wenonah 
had  not  met  a  single  vessel;  while  here,  every  day  several 
hove  in  sight.  Our  voyagers  were  comfortably  disposed 
in  their  usual  lounging  place — the  lee  side  of  the  poop — 
happy  in  the  vista  of  smooth  sea  about  them,  and  happy 

358 


CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  359 

in  the  balmy  weather  that  soothed  every  sense.  It  was 
afternoon,  and  quiet  reigned  abroad — contentment  on 
board. 

The  hours  after  mid-day  are  ever  more  conducive  to  rest 
than  those  preceding  it :  they  are  like  the  years  that  follow 
middle  age.  In  the  period  of  youth  we  are  strong  and 
eager  for  the  fray;  but  when  past  the  meridian  of  life  as 
well  as  the  noon  of  day,  the  spirits  flag — enthusiasm  and 
aggressiveness  are  on  the  wane — and  we  are  disposed  to 
look  more  considerately  on  everything  in  life  because  of  the 
experience  we  have  gained. 

Something  of  this  mood  pervaded  our  little  group — it 
had  been  induced  by  a  good  meal  and  enhanced  by  the 
curling  smoke  from  fragrant  cigars.  The  Captain  joined 
them:  he  was  happy  and  communicative,  and  for  a  while 
entertained  them  with  some  pleasant  reminiscences.  At 
length,  Northrup  said  in  a  jocular  way,  "Captain,  you 
seem  to  me  to  be  monarch  of  all  you  survey;  your  right 
there  is  none  to  dispute :  from  the  forecastle  unto  the  poop, 
you  are  lord  of  all  who  are  about." 

"Not  quite,"  answered  Colburn  in  equally  light  vein; 
but  after  a  moment,  he  added :  "  In  all  seriousness,  there 
are  many  more  restrictions  on  me  than  you  dream  of. 

"The  captain  of  a  ship  is  master  of  a  fabric  of  great 
value  which  he  must  manage  in  the  violence  of  the  gale, 
and  guide  through  the  dangers  that  line  a  coast:  this 
requires  skill  and  judgment  of  a  technical  nature,  as  well  as 
readiness  of  resource.  In  it  all — the  management  of  the 
ship  herself  in  critical  situations — he  is  left  free,  because 
no  instructions  can  be  given  that  will  cover  the  variety  of 
contingencies  that  arise.  Therefore  his  faculties  have  their 
freest  play,  and  by  their  very  exercise  he  is  every  day 


360      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

making  of  himself  a  more  capable  seaman ;  but  contrast  this 
freedom  regarding  the  whole  with  his  limitations  regard- 
ing the  parts:  let  me  illustrate  by  an  imaginary  case — I 
cannot  use  the  pump  and  hose  that  feed  the  boilers  for 
any  other  than  that  specific  purpose;  if  I  should  order  the 
Engineer  (when  steam  is  up)  to  rig  it  for  washing  down 
decks,  he  would  answer  with  all  the  importance  of  author- 
ity in  his  own  domain,  *  It  is  against  the  Company's  Rules.' 

"And  the  Company's  Rules  are  legion,  and  bind  the 
strong  man  as  the  spool-thread  of  the  Lilliputians  bound 
Gulliver.  They  are  the  substitution  of  mechanical  con- 
trol for  the  judgment  of  a  reasoning  mind:  besides,  they 
place  within  reach  of  those  subject  to  orders,  a  weapon  they 
may  use  against  the  man  they  should  obey — the  com- 
pany's rules  are  liable  to  breed  insubordination!  They 
should  be  the  fewest  possible;  and  even  then,  affect  only 
the  most  important  matters:  more  than  that,  they  should 
be  framed  as  general  principles,  and  not  descend  to  specific 
items.  The  man  in  command — in  the  midst  of  the  interests 
to  which  the  rules  apply — is  the  best  judge  of  the  proper 
care  of  those  interests ;  and  not  the  man  at  a  distance,  who 
cannot  act  as  intelligently — according  to  varying  circum- 
stances— as  the  one  on  the  spot. 

"  Whenever  a  subordinate  can  confront  the  captain  with 
some  rule  or  custom  to  limit  his  action  in  small  affairs,  he  is 
in  so  far  the  captain's  superior,  and  rightful  authority  is 
clipped  to  that  extent;  and  in  order  that  he  may  not  fall 
into  disfavor  with  the  Company  through  frequent  infrac- 
tion of  its  rules  (which  would  speedily  be  reported  to  head- 
quarters by  some  malcontent),  the  tendency  of  the  captain 
is  to  act  according  to  rule  in  all  things.  The  RULE — 
that  insidious  vampire  that  saps  his  manhood  and  reduces 


CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  361 

his  action  to  a  spineless  policy — merely  to  keep  out  of 
trouble. 

"The  good  that  specific  directions  aim  to  attain,  is 
lessened  by  the  evils  they  are  likely  to  create  and  foster — 
insubordination  in  those  who  should  obey,  timidity  and 
stunted  individuality  in  him  who  should  command.  The 
captain  fettered  by  them  lacks  the  bold  enterprise  to  begin 
anything  new:  it  is  easier  to  follow  the  trodden  path,  full 
though  it  be  of  vicious  ruts.  It  is  not,  at  least,  bristling 
with  the  sneering  remarks  that  ever  assail  the  innovator — 
it  is  simply  the  weak  course  that  hazards  no  comfort,  risks 
no  reputation.  No;  the  man  who  is  free  and  responsible 
for  the  ship  as  a  whole,  should  also  be  untrammelled  as 
regards  its  parts. 

"  One  often  hears  of  the  old  time  sailor  as  a  man  of  dash 
and  daring;  and  indeed  such  he  was — even  in  my  early  days 
of  sea-going:  his  own  judgment  was  his  rule  of  action,  and 
there  was  little  else  beside;  and  the  constant  exercise  of 
this  judgment  made  him  a  self-reliant,  competent  com- 
mander— full  of  power  and  strength.  If  at  times  he 
lapsed  into  brutality,  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  had  a 
cross  grained  fibre  to  deal  with,  and  that  it  was  often  a 
question  which  should  control — master  or  man:  they 
fought — not  literally,  perhaps;  but  the  struggle  was  none 
the  less  real. 

"Then  the  sailing  ship  and  long  passages  out  of  tele- 
graphic control  conduced  to  the  individualism  of  the  man 
in  command:  the  conditions  were  somewhat  feudal — 
respect  from  the  inferior,  care  by  the  superior.  But  with 
steamers,  short  trips,  and  frequent  intercourse  with  the 
disturbing  elements  of  shore  life,  the  conditions  have 
changed  to  independence,  discussion,  criticism,  main- 


362      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

tenance  of  rights,  and  a  whole  crop  of  other  selfish  prac- 
tises and  ideas  that  are  estranging  officers  and  men  from 
each  other. 

"  The  preacher  of  sailors'  rights  is  often  the  disturber  of 
maritime  harmony:  an  improvement  in  some  things  has 
been  effected  by  the  seaman's  advocate;  but  also  there  has 
been  a  weakening  of  that  great  bond  of  human  feeling 
which  impelled  the  officer  to  care  for  the  man,  and  the 
latter  to  render  obedience  and  respect.  Insistence  on 
rights  tends  to  giving  only  rights — no  sympathy:  whereas 
the  warm  blood  that  flowed  with  what  was  done  for  Jack 
evinced  an  interest  in  his  welfare  that  made  him  regard  the 
officer  as  his  natural  protector:  it  conduced  to  mutual  for- 
bearance— the  give-and-take  of  life  which  is  a  wholesome 
trait  of  the  natural  order — and  not  the  exaction  of  the 
pound  of  flesh,  as  seems  to  be  the  controlling  principle 
now  between  Capital  and  Labor. 

"The  status  of  the  citizen  and  that  of  the  sailor  are 
entirely  distinct  and  different:  on  shore,  you  may  transact 
business  without  reciprocal  amity;  but  on  board  ship,  good 
will  on  both  sides  is  essential  to  efficiency  and  discipline; 
and  while  brutality  on  the  one  hand  and  treachery  on  the 
other  have  debased  the  relations  of  superior  and  subordi- 
nate (and  the  opportunities  for  both  abound  in  ship  life), 
still  he  must  be  a  blind  man  who  does  not  see  that,  aside 
from  the  spirit  of  common  humanity  which  should  actuate 
him,  his  interest — the  success  of  his  command,  is  involved 
in  the  way  he  treats  his  men.  He  is  greatly  dependent  on 
them :  much — I  may  say  most  of  their  work  is  done  out  of 
his  sight,  where  they  can  do  it  ill  or  well — aid  or  thwart  him ; 
and  this  fact  (to  put  the  motive  on  its  lowest  plane)  should 
prompt  any  captain  to  deal  considerately  with  his  men. 


CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  363 

"  But  to  return  to  a  final  word  about  the  government  of 
life  afloat:  a  ship  is  not  a  democracy,  but  essentially  an 
absolute  monarchy,  controlled  by  a  constitution — the 
special  laws  enacted  by  Congress;  and  the  closer  the  cap- 
tain sails  to  those  laws,  the  better  it  will  be  for  both  himself 
and  his  crew:  but  as  for  subsidiary  rules  covering  his 
action  otherwise,  the  fewer  of  these  there  are,  and  the  more 
he  is  left  to  his  own  discretion  in  minor  affairs,  the  happier 
will  be  the  ship's  company.  In  any  critical  situation,  it  is 
the  captain's  judgment  that  controls:  then  why  not  also  in 
small  matters  ?  With  his  action  limited  only  by  law  and 
such  general  instructions  as  I  have  stated,  those  subject 
to  him  would  be  quick  to  study  him  and  more  willing  and 
efficient  in  the  performance  of  duty — they  would  be  far 
better  seamen  and  less  acute  sea-lawyers — pry  less  into  the 
rules,  to  get  points  on  the  captain.  The  known  source  of 
power  being  a  living  reality  in  their  midst — ever  ready  to 
act  upon  his  own  judgment,  and  not  unnecessarily  fettered, 
would  have  a  wholesome  influence  on  their  point  of  view: 
they  would  see  more  of  what  was  good  in  his  management, 
and  be  less  disposed  to  growl  and  furnish  material  for  the 
sensational  press :  their  grievances  would  shrivel  to  natural 
size,  and  not  loom  up  as  objects  do  in  a  fog — to  massive 
proportions.  Yes,  it  makes  all  the  difference  between 
normal  healthy  conduct,  and  unreasonable  discontent,  for 
the  ship's  company  to  know  that  the  captain  (when  just 
in  his  dealings)  is  supreme  in  power  and  firmly  upheld  by 
those  who  should  support  him. 

"  Life  at  sea  is  one  of  force — force  of  physique,  force  of 
mind,  force  of  character:  and  of  all  three  with  the  forces 
of  nature — the  tempest;  the  lashing  sea;  the  blinding  sleet, 
snow,  or  rain;  the  rigors  of  cold  and  extremes  of  heat; 


364      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  plain  food,  often  scanty  and  generally  coarse:  if  ever 
the  meaning  of  words  were  ground  into  one's  life,  it  is  at 
sea — there,  hardship  and  deprivation  need  no  dictionary  to 
define  them. 

"It  is  a  rough  and  tumble  life  in  every  sense,  and  the 
man  in  command  has  much  of  the  coarse,  raw  fibre  of 
humanity  to  deal  with — the  hot  temper,  quick  with  the 
blow;  the  harsh  manner;  the  profanity  that  gives  point  to 
speech  and  story.  Control  in  such  a  community  is  best 
acquired  by  the  growl  of  the  bull-dog  and  the  bulk  of  the 
mastiff — the  show  of  teeth  and  impressiveness  of  physical 
size :  both  go  a  long  way  toward  inspiring  respect  for  their 
possessor;  for  they  are  often  but  the  outward  appearance 
of  qualities  that  will  be  uppermost  in  any  struggle. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  the  amiability  of  the  collie  coupled 
with  the  slender  frame  of  the  greyhound  have  no  place  in 
such  a  fight :  soft  ways  detract  from  the  prowess  of  the  con- 
testants, just  as  ciphers  placed  after  the  decimal  point 
reduce  the  value  of  the  final  integers.  The  lesser  bull- 
dogs and  mastiffs  of  the  ship's  company  look  with  con- 
tempt on  considerate  ways  and  delicate  limbs;  and  their 
possessor  has  a  prejudice  to  overcome  at  the  outset — later, 
he  may  control  even  with  their  handicap. 

"Boldness,  dash — even  rashness;  strength,  vigor,  the 
ever  ready  word  and  act ;  and  all  with  clear-cut  brevity  and 
conciseness — these  are  the  things  required  at  sea;  and  he 
who  has  them  in  the  highest  degree  (united  to  due  technical 
knowledge)  will  hold  the  ascendency.  The  man  who,  in 
addition  to  these  qualifications,  can  take  his  drink  at  times, 
crack  a  joke,  spin  a  yarn,  smoke  a  pipe,  play  billiards,  and 
take  a  hand  in  other  games  more  risky,  and  be  a  jolly  good 
fellow  in  all  convivial  gatherings;  who  has  fairly  good 


CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  365 

common  sense  and  an  even  temper;  who  has  coolness 
enough  to  stand  any  shock,  mental  or  physical — such  a 
man  is  the  ideal  type  for  the  sea. 

"  The  quiet,  retiring  man  has  little  place  there ;  and  yet 
it  is  not  that  the  rough  nature  alone,  devoid  of  kindly 
feeling,  is  the  only  one  fit  for  sea  life ;  but  that  the  amenities 
would  be  (as  it  were)  accomplishments — the  essential 
being  a  rugged  manliness — the  practical  dealing  with  men 
and  things,  short  and  to  the  point.  One  suited  to  the  sea 
is  the  very  antithesis  of  the  lean,  nervous  man,  who  (at  the 
least  rebuff)  gathers  himself  together  and  avoids  contact 
with  his  kind.  No:  the  seaman  must  reach  out  boldly 
and  hold  firmly;  if  study  he  would  (outside  of  technical 
matters),  it  should  be  chiefly  the  study  of  men — to  know 
their  humors,  prejudices,  tastes,  and  feelings;  for  upon  the 
tactful  manipulation  of  men  depends  the  success  of  his 
command. 

"Over  prudence  in  the  sailor  is  worse  than  occasional 
mistakes  resulting  from  hasty  decision :  the  reasons  for  and 
against  in  any  procedure  should  be  canvassed  at  once  as 
well  as  time  will  allow;  and  then  definite  action  taken 
speedily. 

"From  the  foregoing  you  can  readily  infer  that  I  am 
not  as  much  monarch  of  all  I  survey  as  you  jokingly 
intimated;  and  otherwise  my  position  is  not  that  of  an 
Alexander  Selkirk — beyond  the  pale  of  woes  and  plots. 
Men — and  by  such  I  mean  chiefly  those  before  the  mast — 
go  to  sea  from  a  variety  of  motives:  Some  are  naturally 
wanderers  and  find  the  roving  life  congenial;  these  are 
restive  under  restraint  and  become  troublesome.  Others 
are  criminals  or  outcasts  who  ship  as  a  last  resort;  they  are 
few,  but  they  form  the  vicious  coterie  that  corrupts  the 


366      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

whole  ship's  company.  Still  more  have  met  with  dis- 
appointment or  failure,  and  try  to  sink  both  their  sorrow 
and  identity  in  the  great  high  sea  where  no  one  knows 
them — whence  they  come,  or  whither  they  go.  Many  seek 
the  sea  in  early  life  because  of  the  romance  attaching  to  it 
through  song  and  story — it  fascinates  the  youthful  imagina- 
tion; these  are  enthusiasts — full  of  buoyancy — excellent 
material  of  which  to  make  seamen,  if  the  career  itself  had 
enough  of  adventure  to  meet  their  expectations,  but  it  has 
not:  the  expectations  are  extravagant — the  commonplace 
stands  out  in  bold  relief,  and  the  attractions  of  which  they 
read,  are  all  but  mythical — they  are  so  few;  discontent — 
dissatisfaction  with  their  lot  is  the  result,  and  instead  of 
zealously  fitting  themselves  for  the  career  they  have 
chosen,  they  drag  through  it,  or  rather,  they  have  to  be 
driven ;  they  do  listless  work — are  shirks — and  long  for  the 
day  of  release. 

"  Now  mix  up  all  these  incongruous  elements  in  the  small 
space  of  a  ship,  where  their  contact  is  the  closest  possible — 
where  the  food  is  coarse,  the  hardships  many,  the  exposures 
to  bad  weather  frequent,  the  pay  small,  the  amusements 
few,  and  no  remunerative  goal  in  sight  to  which  they  may 
aspire  as  recompense  for  all  this — that  this,  and  only 
this,  is  what  most  of  them  can  do  forever  and  to  the  end ; 
and  you  have  a  view  of  the  material  and  conditions  with 
which  the  master  of  a  ship  has  to  deal.  Even  yet,  the 
whole  story  is  not  told:  besides  containing  many  varieties 
of  social  grade  and  individual  condition,  the  crew  of  an 
American  ship  is  made  up  of  many  nationalities,  with  of 
course  their  inherent  prejudices,  antipathies,  and  ani- 
mosities; and  these,  too,  have  to  be  reckoned  with.  Fur- 
thermore, the  conditions  at  sea  have  few  of  the  ties  of 


CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  367 

family  or  association  that  are  so  widespread  on  shore  and 
which  exert  so  potent  an  influence  in  taming  the  wild 
tendencies  in  man. 

"  I  once  read  a  very  striking  illustration  of  this — that  the 
general  advance  of  human  progress  was  by  forward  im- 
pulses and  backward  recessions  like  the  incoming  tide: 
Each  successive  wave  rushes  forward,  breaks,  and  rolls 
back;  but  the  great  flood  is  steadily  coming  in.  A  person 
who  looked  on  only  for  a  moment,  might  fancy  that  the 
waves  were  retiring.  A  person  who  looked  on  only  for  five 
minutes  might  fancy  that  they  were  rushing  capriciously 
to  and  fro.  But  when  he  keeps  his  eye  on  them  for  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour,  and  sees  one  sea-mark  disappear  after 
another,  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  doubt  the  general 
direction  in  which  the  ocean  is  moving.  So,  the  family, 
the  club,  the  social  reunion  of  every  kind — all  the  gather- 
ings and  network  of  association  on  shore — are  so  many 
impulses  toward  cultivating  the  amenities  of  life — the 
forward  flow  of  the  rising  tide — the  improving  of  character 
and  restraining  of  evil:  while  at  sea,  the  absence  of  such 
ties — worse,  the  roving  life,  the  reckless  habits,  the  want 
of  care  for  the  morrow,  the  freedom  from  any  claim  upon 
either  solicitude  or  labor,  the  vicious  dens  that  attract  in 
every  port — all  these  constitute  so  many  recessions  toward 
unbridled  license,  which  only  the  iron  rule  of  force — 
Discipline — keeps  from  ebbing  to  the  lowest  stage  of 
human  conduct. 

"  The  masses  of  Europe  are  literally  subjects — ever  under 
a  kind  of  discipline :  serfdom  and  feudalism  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  this  subjugation,  and  it  is  continued  at  the  present 
time  by  the  militarism  which  forces  into  standing  armies 
such  large  numbers  of  men — training  them  to  constant 


368      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

obedience,  to  look  up  forever  to  a  superior,  and  to  regard 
their  own  will  and  judgment  as  faculties  never  to  be 
exercised. 

"Then  in  civil  life,  the  titled  nobility  inspires  awe  and 
respect  among  the  common  people;  so  that  from  these 
influences  the  man  born  and  bred  in  Europe  entertains 
very  different  ideas  and  feelings  toward  station  and  author- 
ity from  what  the  American  does.  The  latter  feels  all 
that  the  Constitution  declares  about  men  being  born  free 
and  equal,  and  acts  accordingly.  He  may  respect  the 
office,  but  has  less  regard  for  its  occupant — he  even  stig- 
matizes him  as  a  public  servant,  to  show  his  own  import- 
ance, the  power  of  the  citizen:  but  this  is  only  a  sop  to  his 
pride;  for  we  well  know  how  the  public  servant  rides  his 
master  when  once  he  gets  into  office. 

"The  European,  on  the  contrary,  seldom  considers  the 
office,  while  his  conduct  toward  the  official  trends  on  sub- 
serviency. Of  these  two — the  American  and  the  Euro- 
pean— it  is  evident  that  the  latter  is  more  amenable  to  the 
restraints  of  sea  life. 

"  The  American  hates  to  receive  an  order — it  grates  on 
him — it  is  a  curb  to  his  freedom — a  collar  that  galls  his 
neck,  as  in  the  fable  of  the  wolf  and  the  dog:  the  wolf,  all 
skin  and  bone,  had  strayed  from  his  forest  wilds,  and  met  a 
mastiff  sleek  and  fat.  He  would  like  to  attack  the  well- 
fed  animal,  but  shrewdly  calculated  the  chances  of  success, 
and  instead  approached  the  dog  with  a  compliment  on  his 
fine  appearance. 

"  'You  could  be  the  same,  if  you  chose;  only  quit  the 
forest  where  you  live  in  wretchedness,  and  many  of  your 
pack  die  of  hunger.' 

"  'What  must  I  do/  asked  the  wolf. 


CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  369 

"  'A  mere  nothing — chase  away  the  beggars  and  fawn 
upon  your  master:  and  in  return  you  will  get  many  a 
toothsome  bone  of  fowl  and  bird,  besides  much  fondling.' 

"  The  wolf  was  greatly  moved  by  the  prospect — his  teeth 
watered  for  the  bone,  and  his  eyes  were  tearful  at  the 
thought  of  a  caress — he  had  never  known  kindness.  They 
trotted  along  amicably  until  the  wolf  noticed  a  bare  spot 
on  the  mastiff's  neck,  when  he  queried — 'What  is  that?' 
'  O  nothing — only  the  hair  chafed  by  the  collar,  when  I'm 
tied  up  at  night.'  'Tied  up!  tied  up!!'  exclaimed  the  wolf, 
coming  to  a  sudden  stop,  and  looking  at  his  companion  in 
amazement.  '  Can't  you  run  about,  then,  when  you  want 
to  ?'  ' Not  exactly:  but  what  of  that— 'tis  a  small  matter!' 
'  It  is  such  a  matter  to  me,'  replied  the  wolf, '  that  your  ease 
and  good  fare  shall  never  be  mine  at  the  price  of  my 
liberty — good-bye';  and  away  he  bounded,  back  to  the 
hunger,  cold,  and  strife  of  the  forest:  better  starve  free 
than  live  a  fat  slave!  And  such,  you  must  concede,  is 
the  sentiment  of  the  American. 

"  To  be  of  any  use  either  in  the  merchant  marine  or  the 
navy,  the  native  born  boy  must  be  taken  early  in  hand  and 
carefully  weaned  from  the  distorted,  morbid  ideas  of 
independence  he  may  possess  or  be  inclined  to:  in  man- 
hood, these  become  less  manageable,  especially  when 
strengthened  as  they  often  are  by  notions  instilled  by  trades- 
unions. 

"The  quarter-deck  of  a  ship  is  necessarily  a  place  of 
caste;  and  the  American  boy  who  has  grown  up  in  wild 
independence — independent  of  parents,  of  teachers,  and 
of  the  deference  due  old  age — as  good  as  any  one! — finds 
the  respect  and  subordination  exacted  on  a  ship,  intoler- 
able :  this  is  one  reason  why  so  few  natives  are  found  on  an 


370      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

American  vessel.  Another  is,  there  is  no  money  in  it: 
scarcely  an  occupation  on  shore  but  pays  better  than  going 
to  sea.  A  third  reason  is,  there  is  no  glittering  goal  to 
strive  for;  and  the  American  is  ambitious — ever  on  the 
look-out  for  improving  his  condition.  There  is  but  one 
captain  on  a  ship,  and  few  ships  to  be  captains  of:  the  way 
to  the  top  is  tedious  and  toilsome — a  hard  climb — and  the 
chances  of  winning  the  prize  are  so  few  that  it  does  not 
warrant  risking  one's  happiness  and  energies  in  the  effort. 
Finally,  the  American  does  not  like  hard  work;  in  the  slang 
of  the  day,  he  will  boss  a  job  well,  but  labor  with  his  own 
hands — never,  while  he  can  get  the  imported  foreigner 
to  do  it. 

"  With  all  this  in  mind,  need  we  wonder  that  when  Jack 
gets  ashore,  he  runs  wild  and  commits  those  extravagances 
that  astonish  people  who  never  gave  his  condition  a 
thought  ?  It  would  be  strange  if  he  did  not  kick  over  the 
traces — it  is  but  the  natural  rebound  of  the  human  elastic, 
pressed  down  until  it  groans.  The  sailor  at  sea  '  is  like  a 
stout  ship  that  will  weather  the  roughest  storm  uninjured, 
but  will  roll  her  masts  overboard  in  the  succeeding  calm' 
of  shore  allurements;  and  then  comes  the  punishment: 
moral  suasion  is  of  little  avail — the  reformatory  measure 
does  not  generally  work  with  such  natures :  as  a  celebrated 
divine  once  said,  *  Don't  whip  with  a  switch  that  has  the 
leaves  on  if  you  want  to  tingle';  and  while  the  material 
switch  is  no  longer  used  at  sea,  still  its  legal  substitute 
should  be  such  as  to  make  these  malefactors  feel  it  keenly. 

"  And  it  is  the  same  pent  up  condition  of  feelings,  while 
on  board,  that  finds  vent  in  breaches  of  discipline." 

"Captain,"  said  Northrup,  "your  analysis  of  sea  life 
is  indeed  instructive;  but  what  surprises  me  (and,  I 


CAPTAIN  COLBURN  DISCOURSES  371 

presume,  the  others,  also)  is  that  your  picture  of  the  suc- 
cessful sea  captain  does  not  in  the  least  resemble  yourself 
and  yet  we  have  often  remarked,  one  to  another,  how  well 
you  have  managed  everything  in  a  quiet  way:  you  haven't 
the  jolly  swagger  of  the  bluff  old  sea  dog  we  are  told  about 
in  romance ;  and  yet  you  seem  to  have,  none  the  less,  a  firm 
grasp  and  intelligent  control  of  all  on  board." 

"O,  I  didn't  mean,"  answered  the  Captain,  "that  only 
the  possessors  of  such  qualities  as  I  named,  were  capable 
and  successful  commanders:  my  picture  was  of  a  type 
whose  qualities  would  most  probably  succeed;  but  not  an 
individual  could  be  found  possessed  of  them  all." 

"  Did  you  go  to  sea  very  early  in  life  ?" 

"  No,  not  so  very  early — I  was  over  twenty :  I  am  now 
past  fifty.  I  was  educated  at  a  small  college  in  one  of  our 
little  home  towns:  when  I  left  it,  I  thought  to  improve  a 
rather  slender  physique  by  a  sea  voyage  before  starting 
out  to  earn  my  living. 

"I  shipped  before  the  mast.  The  captain  was  a  kind 
hearted  man,  just  and  generous,  and  honest  to  the  core. 
The  voyage  was  a  long  one — we  stopped  at  many  foreign 
ports — the  new  scenes  fascinated  me — I  was  full  of  youth- 
ful enthusiasm — we  were  a  happy  crew,  and  I  thought  all 
sea  going  would  be  like  that.  I  came  back  much  improved, 
and  with  a  strong  affection  for  the  captain:  he  urged  me 
to  go  again,  and  advanced  me  as  much  as  I  deserved: 
so  I  went,  until  the  Civil  War  shunted  me  off  for  four  years 
into  the  Navy.  The  rest  you  know." 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA:  ARRIVAL  AT  TRINIDAD 

As  THE  ship  approached  the  region  of  equatorial  calms, 
the  Captain  gave  orders  to  the  Engineer  to  be  prepared 
with  the  engine,  as  he  should  use  steam  in  case  the  wind 
fell  light.  Ruggles  told  Hawse  of  the  preparatory  order, 
and  both  decided  to  balk  the  Captain  in  his  intent;  they 
were  now  eager  to  put  every  obstacle  in  his  way,  as  (on 
nearing  home)  it  would  count  more  against  him.  There- 
fore, they  agreed  that  when  steam  was  ordered,  to  get  it  up; 
but  after  the  propeller  had  been  coupled,  a  sudden  break 
should  occur  in  some  part  of  the  machinery:  the  ship 
would  then  wallow  for  days  in  the  irregular  sea  of  the  calm 
belt — it  would  exasperate  Colburn — and  they  would 
chuckle  at  his  discomfiture  and  worry. 

But  the  good  weather  and  steady  breezes  continued,  and 
the  ship  kept  on  under  all  sail.  The  Rocks  of  St.  Paul 
(near  the  equator)  came  in  sight,  and  as  the  day  was 
especially  fine,  Northrup  remarked  to  the  Captain  upon 
the  delightful  run  they  were  making  from  Montevideo. 

"Yes,"  said  Colburn;  "but  it  is  always  so  here.  I  have 
made  many  passages  through  this  region,  and  have  always 
found  the  conditions  similar:  gentle  to  moderate  breezes 
from  some  point  between  East  and  South;  a  sea  that  has 
little  more  than  ripples;  the  sky  clear,  with  only  those 
fleecy  clouds  that  denote  good  weather;  a  genial  tempera- 
ture which  becomes  merely  fresh  when  the  sun  goes  down; 

372 


SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA  373 

and  a  velvety  feeling  of  the  air  that  is  very  soothing — 
altogether,  the  most  peaceful  conditions  I  have  ever 
experienced.  No  violent  winds — no  drenching  rain — no 
crashing  thunder — no  blinding  lightning,  but  a  smooth 
passing  of  one  day  into  another  without  any  great  dis- 
turbance. As  you  see,  the  sails  are  set  once  for  all,  and  the 
ship  glides  steadily  on  with  little  more  than  a  pull  now  and 
then  on  a  brace.  This  is  the  home  of  ideal  weather,  and 
its  equability  is  well  shown  in  the  small  ranges  of  tempera- 
ture and  pressure  of  the  air. 

"Within  the  tropics,  the  oscillation  of  the  barometer 
is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  phenomena  in  nature. 
Except  during  a  hurricane  (when  the  mercury  falls  until 
it  indicates  a  scooping  out  of  the  air  like  the  cavity  of  a 
crater),  the  movement  has  almost  the  regularity  of  a 
pendulum.  On  one  passage  from  Montevideo  to  New 
York,  I  had  very  careful  observations  made  every  hour, 
day  and  night,  of  the  barometer,  temperature,  humidity, 
wind,  and  weather.  Upon  examining  these,  the  regular 
maxima  and  minima  of  the  barometer  began  to  appear 
about  latitude  28°  south,  and  continued  without  a  break 
until  reaching  the  corresponding  parallel  of  north  latitude. 
We  were  forty  days  traversing  this  belt,  on  account  of 
the  route  we  had  to  take  and  the  slow  sailing  qualities 
of  the  vessel.  Every  morning,  about  four  o'clock,  the 
barometer  stood  at  its  lowest;  then  it  slowly  rose  until 
about  ten  o'clock,  when  it  was  highest;  again  it  fell  until 
about  four  in  the  afternoon,  when  another  low  point  was 
reached;  and  finally  rose  until  ten  at  night,  when  it  stood 
still,  and  again  receded.  Alternate  rise  and  fall — twice 
in  every  twenty-four  hours,  day  after  day,  and  every  day, 
by  almost  the  same  amount,  and  at  nearly  the  same  hours! 


374      THE  VOYAGE  OP  THE  WENONAH 

"But  a  remarkable  phase  of  this  regularity  remains  to 
be  told.  While  we  had  just  such  weather  as  you  have 
remarked  upon,  south  of  the  Line,  the  day  after  we  crossed 
into  north  latitude  (which,  by  the  way,  was  in  this  vicinity) 
the  wind  veered  at  once  into  the  northeast  quarter  and 
freshened— no  calms  intervened — and  from  that  onward  to 
the  twenty-eighth  parallel,  we  had  a  succession  of  very 
variable  winds  and  weather;  but  the  regularity  of  the 
barometric  oscillations  was  in  no  wise  affected.  That  is 
to  say,  throughout  a  zone  over  three  thousand  miles  wide, 
extending  on  both  sides  of  the  equator,  and  during  a  period 
of  forty  days,  the  recurrent  ebb  and  flow  of  the  atmosphere 
was  the  same,  whether  the  wind  blew  light  or  strong, 
steady  or  gusty;  whether  rain  fell  or  the  air  was  dry; 
whether  heavy  clouds  gathered  in  the  violence  of  a  squall 
or  the  sky  was  serene  and  clear. 

"On  this  account,  in  stormy  tropical  regions,  slight 
variations  from  this  regularity  must  be  closely  watched: 
any  small  contrary  movement  may  be  the  first  indication 
of  a  hurricane." 

The  other  passengers  had  gathered  near  soon  after 
Colburn  began  speaking,  and  the  Doctor  said, 

"  By  the  way,  Captain,  you  owe  us  a  little  discourse  on 
these  very  storms — you  remember  it  was  put  off  until  we 
should  reach  the  place  where  they  arise,  and  we  must  be 
near  that  now." 

"Well,"  said  Colburn,  "their  salient  features  can  be 
described  in  a  few  words;  but  to  manage  a  ship  in  one  of 
them  requires  close  study  of  their  indications,  laws, 
location,  and  movements. 

"  Rotary  storms  have  received  different  names  in  various 
parts  of  the  world — hurricanes  in  the  West  Indies,  typhoons 


in  ~both, 


Tracks  of  Hurricanes 


SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA  375 

in  Japan,  cyclones  in  China,  and  tornadoes  on  our  own 
western  plains:  but  all  have  the  same  characteristic — a 
cylindrical  body  of  air  turning  round  a  central  calm — the 
bore  of  the  cylinder,  as  it  were.  You  probably  have  often 
seen  something  like  them  in  miniature — a  whirling  mass 
of  dust  in  the  street  (arising  from  eddy  winds)  that  whisks 
past  you  until  spent.  Or  you  may  have  another  illustra- 
tion: fill  a  wash  basin  with  water,  take  out  the  stopper, 
and  give  the  water  a  rotary  movement  with  the  hand;  as 
it  runs  out,  it  will  take  a  spiral  course — almost  circular 
near  the  sides  of  the  basin,  but  sharply  bent  near  the  hole 
in  the  bottom,  where  the  liquid  becomes  funnel  shaped. 
Now  conceive  this  turned  upside  down,  and  you  have  a 
symbol  of  the  hurricane — winds  blowing  spirally  toward  a 
centre,  there  to  rise  through  a  tube  of  calms  and  flow 
out  at  the  top. 

"  At  the  same  time  that  these  winds  are  blowing  violently 
inward,  the  whole  body  of  air  composing  them  is  moving 
onward  over  a  well  defined  path,  just  as  our  little  dust- 
whirl  in  the  street  does.  As  to  the  origin  of  the  storm,  we 
may  easily  suppose  two  opposing  currents  of  air  of  different 
degrees  of  temperature  and  moisture  meeting  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  equator:  they  give  rise  to  a  whirl  about  an  axis — the 
embryo  tornado.  More  air  is  involved — it  brings  varying 
quantities  of  vapor — condensation  results — rain  falls  in 
torrents — great  heat  is  liberated — it  gives  violent  up-rush 
to  the  air  in  the  calm  tube — thunder  and  lightning  ensue — 
thick  gloom  overspreads  the  whole — and  the  meteor  grows 
and  the  commotion  is  intensified  until  finally  the  hurricane 
is  launched  on  its  destructive  career. 

"  These  storms  arise  near  the  equator,  on  each  side  of  it 
where  the  heat  and  vapor  are  excessive — in  unsteady 


376      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

balance — and  the  mine  of  disturbance  is  ever  ready  to  be 
sprung.  Their  course — roughly  speaking — is  a  parabola: 
the  first  branch  of  the  curve  runs  westerly  in  the  Trades 
with  a  trend  toward  the  pole  in  each  hemisphere,  so  that 
the  apex  of  their  path  is  somewhere  near  the  limit  of  the 
Trade-winds  in  about  latitude  thirty  degrees;  the  second 
branch  turns  eastward  and  toward  the  pole  through  the 
region  of  westerly  winds:  this  track  clearly  indicates  that 
the  two  great  systems — the  Trades  and  the  Westerly 
winds — determine  the  path  of  the  column  of  gyrating  air." 

Here,  the  Captain  took  a  piece  of  chalk  and  sketched  on 
a  board  the  accompanying  Figs.  1  and  2  to  illus- 
trate the  tracks  of  revolving  storms  in  both  hemispheres, 
and  the  rotation  of  the  wind  in  them.  Then  he  continued : 

"  The  column  of  revolving  air  extends  to  a  great  height, 
as  is  shown  by  the  turbulent  motion  of  the  upper  clouds; 
in  diameter,  it  may  be  only  fifty  miles,  and  then  its  intens- 
ity is  greatest;  or  it  may  be  a  thousand  miles,  and  then  the 
intensity  is  less :  its  rate  of  speed  along  the  parabola  varies 
from  three  to  forty  miles  an  hour  according  to  the  particular 
storm  and  the  part  of  the  track  it  is  in :  the  velocity  of  the 
winds  blowing  toward  the  calm  center  generally  reaches 
a  hundred  miles  an  hour. 

"  The  path  of  the  storm  and  the  direction  of  the  wind  in 
the  storm  must  not  be  confounded — they  have  no  neces- 
sary connection:  the  former  is  the  route  over  which  the 
mass  of  air  involved  in  the  whirl  is  moving  as  a  whole; 
while  the  latter  is  simply  the  point  from  which  each 
individual  wind  composing  the  whirl,  blows. 

"  If  you  look  at  the  daily  weather  map  when  a  storm  is 
raging  over  any  part  of  the  United  States,  you  will  see  the 
wind  blowing  in  circuits  round  a  deep  Low — toward  it, 


SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA  377 

but  seldom  straight  to  it;  rather,  it  blows  in  spirals,  and 
always  opposite  to  the  motion  of  the  hands  of  a  clock. 
And  this  is  the  order  of  rotation  of  hurricane  winds  north 
of  the  equator:  south  of  it,  the  rotation  is  like  that  of  the 
hands  of  a  clock — from  left  to  right.  This  order  of  rota- 
tion in  each  hemisphere  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  earth  on 
the  equatorial  side  of  the  storm  has  greater  velocity  than 
on  the  polar  side:  this  velocity  in  each  case  is  imparted  to 
the  air  above  the  earth's  surface,  and  the  initial  impulse 
thus  given,  being  greater  on  the  equatorial  than  on  the  polar 
side,  establishes  the  rotation,  which  is  kept  up  until  the 
storm  blows  itself  out  in  temperate  zones. 

"  As  the  earth  revolves  from  west  to  east,  if  we  represent 
the  different  velocities  it  imparts  to  the  two  sides  of  the 
embryo  storm  by  the  arrows  M  and  N  (Fig.  1),  it  will 
readily  be  seen  how  the  rotation  experienced  is  the  natural 
result. 

"  If,  then,  in  a  hurricane  north  of  the  Line,  the  master 
of  a  ship  finds  the  wind  from  any  point  between  northeast 
and  southwest  by  the  way  of  south,  he  is  to  the  right  of  the 
storm's  path  (looking  in  the  direction  it  is  travelling): 
this  is  the  dangerous  semicircle,  because  all  the  winds  blow 
him  in  front  of  its  course :  he  should  therefore  lie-to  on  the 
starboard  tack,  because  the  shifts  of  wind  will  be  aft  and 
help  him  work  away  from  the  center.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  has  the  wind  anywhere  between  northeast  and 
southwest  by  the  way  of  north,  he  is  to  the  left  of  the  storm's 
track — in  the  navigable  semicircle,  and  can  run  out  of  it 
(if  there  be  sea  room)  by  keeping  the  wind  on  the  star- 
board quarter. 

"The  rotary  storm  does  not  swoop  down  on  a  ship  un- 
awares; but  like  the  rattlesnake,  gives  ample  warning  of  its 


378      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

proximity:  the  day  is  sultry,  close,  and  oppressive;  the 
atmosphere  unusually  clear,  so  that  things  appear  distinct 
and  well  defined;  the  winds  are  light  and  whiffle  about, 
giving  a  twirling  motion  to  small  objects;  the  sea  is  con- 
fused. A  boding  cloud  appears  in  the  horizon:  it  rises 
and  others  join  it;  they  struggle  for  precedence,  and  are 
jagged,  as  if  torn  by  the  wind ;  their  upper  edges  are  copper- 
colored — even  reddish,  and  impart  a  fiery  tinge  to  the  whole 
sky ;  as  they  mount,  a  whitish,  misty  aureole  crowns  them — 
the  ox-eye — and  this  is  a  sure  sign  of  the  hurricane  beneath. 
The  colors  of  the  clouds  change  to  yellow,  olive-green,  and 
crimson — the  wind  moans  low  and  gusty  in  violent  puffs — 
the  barometer  falls  rapidly — and  the  whole  prospect  is 
terrifying.  Man  is  awe-struck  and  bereft  of  decisive 
action:  the  elements  are  wild,  and  if  he  awaits  their  on- 
slaught unprepared,  he  will  meet  with  injury,  and  perhaps 
disaster.  No  sail  will  stand,  and  even  tarpaulins  in  the 
rigging  blow  away;  boats  _are  smashed;  hatches  when 
battened  down,  are  torn  up;  yards  and  masts  snap  and  go 
by  the  board ;  the  ship  broaches-to,  and  lies  helpless  on  her 
beam  ends  until  hard  work  and  skill  right  her;  the  sea  rises 
to  great  height  and  drives  in  solid  green  sheets  over  the  rail, 
burying  the  ship;  the  wind  roars  with  terrific  fury;  rain 
falls  in  torrents;  and  thunder,  lightning,  and  gloom  mingle 
in  one  chaotic  medley:  the  mercury,  meanwhile,  is  omi- 
nously falling. 

"After  some  hours  of  this  battering,  there  is  a  sudden 
lull — then  quiet:  the  ship  is  in  the  central  calm,  rolling 
and  pitching  among  billowy  masses  that  the  wind  has 
lashed  into  cross  confusion.  This  calm  continues  an 
hour  or  so;  then  the  wind  rises  as  suddenly  as  it  fell,  and 
with  equal  violence,  but  from  the  point  diametrically 


SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA  379 

opposite  the  one  at  which  it  ceased.  The  center  has  passed 
over  the  ship  and  she  is  again  undergoing  in  the  second 
half  of  the  storm  all  the  lashing  of  wind  and  wave  she 
experienced  in  the  first  half.  Finally,  the  barometer  rises — 
the  wind  gradually  subsides — and  the  proverbial  sunshine 
succeeds  the  storm. 

"And  the  ship?  She  has  suffered  great  damage,  and 
the  officers  and  men  are  worn  out  with  hard  work  and  loss 
of  food  and  sleep :  they  have  gone  through  it  all  soaked  to 
the  skin,  and  their  flesh  tingling  from  the  pelting  rain. 

"If  the  wind  blew  in  exact  circles  round  the  central 
calm,  the  bearing  of  the  center  could  easily  be  determined ; 
for  by  facing  the  wind,  the  center  lies  eight  points  to  the 
right  of  its  direction  in  the  northern  hemisphere,  or  eight 
points  to  the  left  in  the  southern:  but  the  wind  blows  in 
spirals,  and  even  this  only  in  a  general  way,  for  the  curva- 
ture is  not  uniform ;  in  one  part,  it  is  all  but  a  straight  line, 
while  in  another  part  it  is  sharply  bent :  therefore,  the  real 
direction  of  the  center  may  differ  several  points  from  the 
estimated  one,  and  it  behooves  the  shipmaster  to  exercise 
intelligence  and  close  observation  to  infer  the  bearing 
aright. 

"  The  winds  of  a  multitude  of  storms  have  been  plotted 
from  a  number  of  ships  that  were  in  each,  thus  giving 
simultaneous  view  of  their  extent  and  nature;  and  the 
general  type  is  what  I  have  drawn  here  (Fig.  2).  You  see 
the  hurricane  is  made  up  of  incurving  spirals  of  irregular 
shape,  and  therein  consists  the  uncertainty  of  determining 
the  bearing  of  the  center;  and  from  that,  of  deciding  how 
to  manoeuvre. 

"  If  the  wind  has  full  hurricane  force  and  the  shifts  are 
rapid  from  point  to  point  while  the  barometer  falls  abnor- 


380      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

mally,  the  ship  is  undoubtedly  near  the  center:  if,  on  the 
contrary,  the  wind  blows  for  some  time  from  the  same  point 
and  veers  slowly — being,  furthermore,  only  of  the  force  of  a 
strong  gale,  the  ship  is  in  all  probability  well  off  from  the 
center. 

"Works  abound  which  give  information  regarding 
these  storms :  some  have  rules  for  managing  a  ship  in  every 
contingency — rules  as  specific  as  those  for  arithmetical 
computations;  but  such  rules  are  not  only  useless,  but 
vicious — luring  to  disaster.  There  are  so  many  varying 
circumstances — the  size  of  the  storm,  its  rate  of  progress, 
part  of  the  track  it  is  traversing,  sea  room,  region  in  which 
it  is  met — all  imparting  to  each  hurricane  features  so  dis- 
tinctive, that  to  apply  rigid  rules,  is  as  practicable  as  to  fit 
the  garments  made  for  one  person  to  every  individual  of  a 
group.  Better  by  far,  that  the  seaman  have  in  mind  a 
clear  and  distinct  picture  of  the  general  features  of  the 
storm  derived  from  close  study  of  the  best  attainable  books, 
and  then  use  this  in  connection  with  his  own  common 
sense. 

"The  Kansas  tornado  is  but  the  ocean  hurricane  in 
miniature:  you  know  its  effects  well. 

"  Though  not  so  violent,  we  have  its  counterpart  at  sea — 
the  waterspout:  you  remember  meeting  one  in  the  Pacific. 
They  are  formed  in  the  upper  strata  of  the  atmosphere — a 
whirl  of  air  and  vapor,  like  an  inverted  cone.  This 
gradually  extends  downward  until  it  approaches  the  sea, 
when  the  water  is  sucked  up,  twisted  into  another  cone,  and 
both  join  and  proceed  onward  like  a  swaying  pillar  of 
whirling  smoke.  They  are  only  a  few  feet  in  diameter, 
and  last  but  a  short  time :  the  principal  danger  from  them 
is  the  carrying  away  of  spars  and  sails,  and  the  great  mass 


JJOKOBEKN 

JZEHJSFJfLKE 


Shifts  of  Wind  in  a  Hurricane 


SOME  NATURAL.  PHENOMENA  381 

of  water  that  falls  when  they  break;  they  have  enormous 
wrenching  power. 

"  Often,  in  hurricanes  the  Corpo  Santo  is  seen  at  mast- 
heads; this  is  purely  electrical;  when  heavily  charged 
thunder  clouds  are  passing  over,  they  induce  an  electric 
condition  opposite  to  their  own  in  salient  objects;  from 
these  a  slow  discharge  takes  place  with  a  bluish  light  and 
faint  crackling  sound;  such  manifestations  are  known  as 
Corpo  Santo  and  St.  Elmo's  Fire,  and  are  seen  on  mast- 
heads and  yard-arms,  and  even  on  the  hair  and  tips  of  the 
fingers.  Their  form,  noise,  and  light  are  identical  with  the 
brush  discharge  from  the  spherical  conductor  of  an  elec- 
trical machine;  and  the  phenomenon  is  due  to  a  multitude 
of  little  sparks  arising  between  the  particles  of  air. 

"But  it  is  in  severe  storms  of  thunder  and  lightning 
that  the  best  display  of  St.  Elmo's  Fire  is  seen:  then  it 
appears  in  a  hundred  globular  masses,  each  a  few  inches  in 
diameter,  all  over  the  prominent  parts  of  the  ship  and 
rigging — depicting  her  in  luminous  outline — a  brilliant, 
but  weird  spectacle. 

"Not  unfrequently,  ships  are  struck  by  lightning,  and 
then  yards  and  masts  are  shattered,  sails  torn,  and  men 
stunned.  But  the  bolt  also  causes  a  radical  change  in  the 
magnetic  character  of  the  ship — her  deviation  table  be- 
comes useless,  and  she  must  immediately  swing  ship,  if 
the  Captain  would  not  invite  disaster. 

"Even  the  compasses  have  been  known  to  have  their 
magnetism  reversed,  where  it  was  not  wholly  destroyed; 
so  that  here  too  an  immediate  examination  must  be  made. 
A  case  is  on  record  where  a  Captain  found  his  ship  heading 
east  by  standard  compass  when  the  position  of  the  sun 
clearly  showed  he  should  be  steering  west:  a  blinding 


382     THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

electric  storm  had  just  passed  over  and  wrecked  every 
compass,  save  one — a  small  boat  instrument  which  had 
been  wrapped  in  rubber  cloth  (a  non-conductor)  and 
placed  in  the  life-boat  as  required  by  law,  rather  than 
through  any  thought  that  it  would  ever  be  of  service;  but 
in  this  extremity  it  proved  to  be  his  only  guide  to  port. 

"There!  I  think  you  have  now  heard  as  much  about 
the  terrors  of  the  deep  as  you  want  to,  and  I  hope  you 
will  be  spared  their  reality  in  this  region." 

The  day  after  the  Wenonah  passed  the  Rocks  of  St. 
Paul,  the  Captain  expected  to  enter  the  Doldrums — that 
steamy,  stifling  belt  of  calms  which  wears  the  seaman  out 
with  days  and  days  of  gasping  for  any  breath  of  air  that 
will  fill  either  sail  or  lung;  but  he  was  not  going  to  tarry 
there — he  would  have  steam  ready  when  the  wind  fell  light : 
the  wind,  however,  held  on  strong  and  steady  while  grad- 
ually veering  to  the  east,  and  eventually  it  jumped  into  the 
northeast  quarter;  and  he  had  the  rare  good  fortune  to  find 
one  Trade  merge  into  the  other.  He  shaped  a  course  for 
Trinidad,  entirely  unconscious  of  the  trap  the  conspirators 
had  intended  to  spring  on  him  in  the  calm  belt.  Nature 
had  foiled  them  for  the  nonce,  but  what  occurred  was  most 
unusual — they  would  bide  their  time  and  keep  a  bright 
lookout  for  any  opportunity  to  delay  the  ship.  She  kept 
on,  however,  with  the  fairest  of  winds  and  smoothest  of 
seas — ideal  ocean  sailing. 

In  due  time,  the  loom  of  Trinidad  rose  on  the  horizon : 
the  ship  drew  on  apace — night  fell — and  toward  morning 
the  Wenonah  closed  in  with  the  land,  from  which  fragrant 
odors  of  shrub  and  flower  came  to  delight  the  senses  and 
extend  a  pleasing  welcome  to  port. 

The  Island  of  Trinidad  was  discovered  by  Columbus, 


SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA  383 

who  gave  it  the  name  it  bears  in  fulfillment  of  a  vow  to 
name  the  first  land  he  should  see  on  that  voyage,  in  honor 
of  the  Holy  Trinity ;  and  it  is  singular  that  the  land  he  did 
see,  had  three  peaks  rising  from  one  mountain.  The 
Island  is  a  towering  mass  forming  the  northern  boundary 
of  the  Gulf  of  Paria — a  large  arm  of  the  sea  indenting  the 
coast  of  Venezuela.  The  Gulf  has  two  openings — the 
Boca  del  Sierpe  on  the  southern  side,  and  the  Boca  del 
Dragon  on  the  northern :  Columbus  entered  by  the  former 
— explored  the  shores  of  the  inland  sheet  of  water,  and 
left  it  by  the  Boca  del  Dragon;  and  he  records  with  vivid- 
ness the  apprehension  he  felt — without  chart,  pilot  or 
guide  of  any  kind — on  going  through  this  passage  full  of 
rocks  and  a  foaming  sea.  But  in  truth,  its  dangers  were 
more  apparent  than  real;  and  Columbus  himself  judged 
aright  when  he  attributed  the  turbulence  of  the  water  to  a 
tide  from  the  sea  struggling  with  an  outrush  from  the  Gulf 
— the  accumulation  of  many  rivers  poured  into  it. 

The  morning  broke  bright  and  beautiful.  The  Weno- 
nah  was  coasting  along  the  northern  shore  of  the  Island, 
which  was  close  aboard,  fresh,  green,  and  diversified — 
hill  and  valley  covered  with  luxuriance  of  shrub  and  tree. 
The  land  rose  sheer  from  the  sea  in  many  places  and  the 
foliage  that  clothed  it  was  brilliant  as  if  sparkling  with  the 
copious  dew  of  night. 

The  principal  town  of  Trinidad  is  Port  of  Spain,  on  the 
inside,  or  gulf  shore,  of  the  Island;  and  for  this  port  the 
Wenonah  was  bound,  through  the  Boca  del  Dragon. 

The  Engineer  felt  sure  that  steam  would  be  required  to 
reach  an  anchorage  after  entering  the  passage;  but  the  ship 
sped  rapidly  on  under  all  sail,  and  yet  no  word  came  from 
the  Captain,  Since  no  calm  belt  was  encountered, 


384      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Ruggles  intended  to  have  the  engine  break  down  just  inside 
the  Boca :  this  would  put  Colburn  to  the  delay  and  annoy- 
ance of  beating  up  against  the  Trade  wind  to  an  anchorage 
— generally  a  tedious  procedure. 

The  ship  reached  the  passage:  the  wind  still  held,  and 
even  freshened  as  it  drew  into  the  Dragon's  Mouth:  the 
yards  were  gradually  braced  in  as  she  rounded  the  western 
island,  and  then  braced  up  until  they  were  sharp  on  the 
port  tack,  and  she  headed  for  the  anchorage.  This  was 
not  reached  on  the  first  tack,  but  it  was  after  two — much 
to  the  chagrin  of  the  Engineer,  who  was  thus  balked  a 
second  time  in  his  evil  design. 

In  the  Boca  del  Dragon  are  some  small  islands  called  the 
dragon's  teeth;  and  the  passages  between  some  of  these 
are  navigable — others  not :  the  important  thing  for  a  sailing 
ship  is  not  to  pass  the  proper  channel,  for  then  she  would 
have  to  beat  back  against  a  head  wind.  Steamers  coming 
from  the  eastward  can  enter  one  of  the  passages  between 
the  teeth,  but  sailing  ships  should  stand  on  for  the  wide 
channel  west  of  the  last  island. 

Port  of  Spain  is  built  on  a  beautiful  tract  of  level  ground 
elevated  a  few  feet  above  the  sea  and  enclosed  by  high  hills. 
The  city  is  clean  and  presents  an  attractive  appearance. 
Tropical  trees  and  foliage  abound  and  afford  grateful 
shade  from  the  hot  sun,  as  well  as  sweet  odors  to  the  smell, 
and  restful  colors  to  the  eye.  Electric  cars  run  in  the 
streets,  and  magnificent  roads  lead  from  the  town :  walking 
or  horseback  riding  is  a  delight  in  the  freshness  of  early 
morning  or  the  cool  of  evening.  There  are  several  hotels 
in  the  town,  and  one  in  the  suburbs — fronting  on  a  grand 
expanse  of  lawn,  midst  the  sweetness  of  flowers  and  the 
shade  of  trees,  where  every  comfort  and  luxury  may  be  had 


SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA  385 

Fine  churches  of  several  denominations  are  in  various 
parts  of  the  town.  A  feature  which  attracts  the  notice  of 
every  visitor,  is  a  flock  of  vultures  in  the  streets :  they  pick 
up  all  eatable  refuse  and  dispose  of  it  without  charge  to 
the  tax  payers;  and  would  that  the  scavengers  of  New  York 
were  as  efficient  and  inexpensive! 

There  are  two  small  areas  of  greatest  heat  in  the  world — 
one  in  eastern  Africa,  the  other  on  the  Caribbean  coast  of 
South  America;  and  Trinidad  lies  within  the  latter:  Port  of 
Spain  has  the  additional  sultriness  of  being  on  the  lee  side 
of  some  hills,  which  screen  it  from  the  Trade  winds. 
There  is  much  close  weather  and  all  breezes  are  generally 
light.  Although  the  town  is  hot,  yet  it  is  healthy — free 
from  those  epidemics  that  ravage  other  tropical  places:  it 
is  within  both  the  hurricane  belt  and  the  volcanic  zone, 
but  neither  violent  storm  nor  destructive  eruption  visits  it. 

While  the  day  is  oppressive,  the  night  is  worthy  of  every 
encomium:  as  in  all  tropical  climes,  night  comes  on  with 
all  its  brilliant  contrasts  close  upon  the  set  of  sun :  no  shad- 
ing— no  pale,  sickly  twilight,  long  drawn  out  like  the  pallor 
of  the  victim  marked  by  death;  but  with  scintillating  flash 
and  full  intensity,  every  star  bursts  forth  in  its  setting  of 
deep  blue.  Add  to  this  the  phosphoresence  of  the  water — 
sparkling  brilliants  clinging  to  the  oar  and  eddying  in  the 
wake  of  the  boat  wherever  she  goes,  and  one  has  a  charm  of 
sea  and  sky  at  night  that  cannot  be  surpassed.  Scientists 
tell  us  that  "Phosphorescence  is  produced  by  myriads  of 
animalcules,  which  have  the  property  of  emitting  light 
from  their  bodies,  like  fire-flies.  A  hundred  of  them  have 
been  found  in  a  single  drop  of  sea- water."  If  this  be  true 
of  sea-water  in  general,  the  Gulf  of  Paria  must  have  a 
thousand  animalcules  to  every  drop — it  is  so  luminous! 


386      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

The  Gulf  is  everywhere  shallow,  from  the  quantity  of  mud 
washed  into  it  by  the  various  branches  of  the  Orinoco: 
vessels  of  great  draught,  therefore,  have  to  anchor  a  long 
distance  from  the  wharf — two  miles  or  more.  Consider- 
able shipping  is  always  in  port,  and  frequent  communica- 
tion is  maintained  by  steamers  of  several  nationalities  with 
the  United  States,  South  America  and  Europe. 

A  great  pitch  lake  exists  on  the  southern  shore  of  the 
Gulf,  and  from  it  much  of  the  asphaltum  used  for  pave- 
ment in  our  cities  is  brought. 

Sugar  is  largely  an  article  of  export;  but  the  most  im- 
portant product  is  the  seed  used  in  making  chocolate, 
whether  beverage  or  bon-bon:  one-tenth  of  the  whole 
quantity  consumed  in  the  world  comes  from  Trinidad; 
and  the  amount  of  it  exported  from  the  island  reaches  an 
immense  volume.  Cacao  is  the  name  of  both  the  tree  and 
the  fruit:  the  average  height  of  the  tree  is  twenty  feet, 
and  it  is  covered  with  lustrous,  dark,  green  leaves ;  it  grows 
wild,  and  is  also  cultivated.  When  the  Spaniards  con- 
quered Mexico,  they  found  a  drink  among  the  natives 
made  from  this  cacao,  which  they  called  chocollail  in  the 
native  tongue — whence  our  name  for  the  same  beverage. 
Each  tree  bears  about  ten  of  the  fruit  at  a  time,  and  the 
fruit  is  of  the  size  and  shape  of  a  large  cucumber,  though 
more  swollen  in  the  middle :  each  fruit  contains  about  sixty 
seeds  imbedded  in  a  spongy  substance  like  that  of  a  water- 
melon. When  ripe,  these  seeds  are  taken  out,  cleaned, 
and  dried  in  the  sun:  they  are  then  gently  roasted  (like 
coffee)  in  a  cylinder,  which  develops  their  peculiar  choco- 
late odor.  This  is  the  cacao  bean  of  commerce :  it  is  brittle, 
aromatic,  slightly  astringent,  and  brown  throughout  its 
substance.  Subsequent  treatment  is  the  secret  of  the 


SOME  NATURAL  PHENOMENA  387 

manufacturer,  who  prepares  it  as  chocolate;  and  it  is  highly 
nutritious  whether  as  food  in  the  cake,  or  as  liquid  to  drink 
— provided  it  be  not  adulterated  with  deleterious  matter, 
as  is  often  the  case :  even  red  ochre  has  been  mixed  with  it 
and  one  could  heartily  wish  that  the  man  who  could  thus 
defraud  the  stomach,  might  be  condemned  for  eternity  to 
exist  on  a  diet  of  the  red  earth  alone ! 

The  population  of  Port  of  Spain  is  a  medley  of  many 
races:  England  owns  the  Island;  but  there  are  Spaniards, 
Frenchmen,  and  Venezuelans,  many  negroes,  a  remnant 
of  the  aborigines,  and  a  large  number  of  those  other 
Indians  from  far  Hindoostan  who  come  as  coolies.  Of 
course  the  British  are  dominant  in  the  administration  of 
affairs,  but  not  exclusively  so — the  man  of  varied  hue  is 
seen  in  many  grades  of  official  life. 

To  the  westward  of  Trinidad,  and  not  far  away,  is  the 
chief  port  of  Venezuela — La  Guaira,  of  which  a  witty 
American  wrote  an  amusing  paraphrase  of  Byron's  adieu  to 
Malta ;  the  first  stanza  is  as  follows : 

"  Adios  to  thee  La  Guaira,  city  of  the  dark  eyed  gente, 

*  Tierra  of  mucho  calor  y  dolce  farniente, 
'  Home  of  the  wailing  donkey  and  of  the  all  abiding  flea, 

'Mariana,  gracias  a  Dios,  I  bid  adieu  to  thee." 

And  the  rest  were  better  left  in  its  resting  place. 

The  Wenonah  came  to  Port  of  Spain  to  fill  some  remain- 
ing space  with  sugar  and  cacao  beans;  and  having  accom- 
plished this,  she  got  underway  and  stood  out  through  the 
Dragon's  Mouth  under  all  sail,  greatly  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  Sam  Ruggles,  Engineer,  who  thus  saw  his  occupa- 
tion dwarfed  by  the  frequent  use  of  canvas  in  places  where 


388  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

steam  is  generally  employed  by  vessels  possessing  both 
kinds  of  motive  power. 

The  passengers  and  crew  were  very  sorry  to  leave  this 
pleasant  place:  the  former  had  passed  their  time  delight- 
fully at  the  hotel  in  the  suburbs,  and  the  Captain  managed 
to  give  every  man  on  board  a  few  hours'  run  in  the  town. 
It  was  therefore  with  happy  memories  that  all  saw  Port  of 
Spain  fade  from  view  as  the  ship  headed  for  the  Boca, 
close  hauled  on  the  starboard  tack. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

TREACHERY 

If  them  didst  but  consent 
To  this  most  cruel  act,  do  but  despair, 
And  if  thou  want'st  a  cord,  the  smallest  thread 
That  ever  spider  twisted  from  her  womb 
Will  serve  to  strangle  thee;  a  rush  will  be 
A  beam  to  hang  thee  on;  or,  would'st  thou  drown  thyself, 
Put  but  a  little  water  in  a  spoon, 
And  it  shall  be  as  all  the  ocean, 
Enough  to  stifle  such  a  villain  up. 

— Shakespeare. 

UPON  leaving  the  Gulf  of  Paria,  the  Wenonah  headed 
for  the  Island  of  Grenada,  the  Captain's  intention  being  to 
cross  the  Caribbean  Sea  east  of  Aves  Island,  and  re-enter 
the  Atlantic  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Virgin  group.  To  do 
this,  he  should  have  to  keep  close  to  the  wind,  to  allow  for 
leeway  and  current;  for  both  wind  and  tide  set  westerly 
(often  capriciously)  through  the  various  passages  between 
the  islands  forming  a  fringe  to  the  Caribbean  Sea  and 
separating  it  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean :  and  the  passage  was 
made  in  this  way — three  of  the  most  delightful  days  ever 
spent  at  sea.  The  breeze  was  steady,  the  sky  clear,  and 
the  sparkling  blue  water  as  smooth  as  a  lake :  the  ship  sped 
onward  with  all  the  ease  and  grace  of  a  skater  on  ice. 
The  course  brought  the  various  islands  of  the  windward 

389 


390  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

group  successively  into  sight,  so  that  their  diversified  sur- 
face, verdant  with  tree  and  shrub,  or  yellow  with  the  ripen- 
ing sugar  cane — hills,  valleys,  plains,  towns,  and  plantations 
— all  could  easily  be  seen.  The  nights  were  brilliant — 
equally  charming  with  the  day,  and  the  passengers  were 
loth  to  give  them  up  to  sleep  or  rest:  they  sat  for  hours  on 
the  poop  with  scarcely  a  word  about  anything  but  the  de- 
lights of  the  immediate  present — it  was  one  running  com- 
mentary on  the  happiness  they  felt. 

But  the  Captain  did  not  share  this  equanimity;  abnor- 
mally good  conditions  sometimes  precede  a  dire  calamity — 
the  patient  often  rallies  just  before  collapse,  and  the  quiet 
sultry  atmosphere  warns  us  of  the  coming  storm :  so  while 
this  placid  Caribbean  sailing  might  well  be  a  weather 
breeder,  still  it  was  not  this  that  worried  Colburn — his 
anxiety  was  for  conditions  internal,  whose  signs  were  as 
alarming  as  the  symptoms  of  a  malignant  disease. 

On  nearing  her  destination,  life  on  board  ship  relaxes: 
it  is  the  end  of  the  voyage — the  completion  of  the  cruise; 
discipline  and  routine  are  hard  to  maintain — the  men  feel 
that  the  end  is  now  so  near  that  bad  conduct  will  be  lightly 
dealt  with;  at  the  worst,  there  is  not  much  time  to  suffer 
punishment,  and  a  little  kicking  out  of  the  traces  is  grate- 
ful to  the  man  long  under  restraint.  Hence  it  is  that  those 
not  imbued  with  self  respect  or  a  sense  of  duty  (and  there 
are  many  who  are  not,  even  among  officers),  give  rein  to 
their  ill  will  toward  constituted  authority  by  an  impertinent 
independence  of  speech  and  manner  they  would  not  at- 
tempt in  the  early  days  of  the  cruise.  This  well  known 
trait  was  intensified  on  the  Wenonah  by  the  disloyalty  of 
Jacob  Hawse  and  his  boon  companion — Sam  Ruggles. 

The  power  of  gifts  and  blandishments  to  gain  men's 


TREACHERY  391 

sympathies  is  of  remote  antiquity:  the  particular  phase  it 
took  on  the  Wenonah  has  already  been  told — how  Jacob 
Hawse  laid  in  a  supply  of  fiery  liquor  at  Punta  Arenas,  and 
doled  it  out  at  times  when  a  sailor  would  give  body  and 
soul  for  a  drink:  in  return  he  won  many,  so  that  by  the 
time  the  ship  sailed  from  Trinidad,  most  of  the  crew  were 
on  amicable  terms  with  him.  And  why  shouldn't  they 
be?  Hadn't  he  made  their  blood  tingle  when  wet  to  the 
skin,  or  sent  it  flowing  through  their  veins  when  weary  of 
the  squalid  mess  that  formed  their  food  from  day  to  day! 
He  was  a  whole-souled  man — full  of  human  feeling — 
who  knew  the  sailor,  and  why  shouldn't  they  like  him? 
So  the  dupes  swallowed  the  lethal  dose,  got  their  percep- 
tions more  blunted,  and  became  more  entangled  in  his  net. 
To  further  his  scheme,  Hawse  ran  a  parallel  course — 
he  decried  the  Captain  and  his  management  of  the  ship 
on  every  occasion;  not  openly,  but  by  insinuation — a  sly, 
steady  sowing  of  discontent.  He  revived  his  practices 
of  the  early  part  of  the  voyage — Northrup's  lecture  on 
treachery  and  slander  was  now  forgotten  and  the  exposi- 
tion therein  made  of  the  First  Mate's  methods  had  passed 
from  the  men's  minds,  so  he  could  reopen  old  sores  and 
create  new  ones:  "The  food  was  not  what  it  should  be; 
the  Captain  had  no  right  to  impose  on  them  a  livery  as 
on  a  coachman,  and  make  them  go  to  the  expense  of 
clothes  that  only  made  them  conspicuous  for  land  sharks; 
then  this  nagging  about  personal  cleanliness  and  things 
being  ship-shape  on  board — were  they  children  that  they 
must  be  inspected  to  see  if  they  washed  themselves,  or 
put  on  a  clean  shirt,  or  had  their  hair  cut?  It  was  no 
longer  the  free  life  of  the  sailor!  Then  there  was  that 
stabbing  affair — no  man's  life  was  safe  on  board  if  a  Dago 


392      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

could  rip  out  a  stiletto  and  plunge  it  into  a  man's  heart 
without  being  punished.  .  .  .  '  And  so  on,  and  much 
more  of  the  same  kind,  all  cunningly  distilled  into  their  ears. 
When  the  First  Mate  gave  an  order  every  one  jumped: 
when  it  became  known  that  he  wanted  certain  things  done, 
and  certain  other  things  given  the  go-by,  their  action  was 
all  zeal  in  the  one  case,  and  studied  slight  in  the  other. 
Per  contra,  they  would  lag  and  be  slouchy  and  awkward  at 
anything  the  Captain  wanted  done,  especially  when  such 
conduct  pleased  the  Mate — as  it  always  did. 

At  Port  of  Spain,  Hawse  received  a  letter  from  his  friend 
in  the  counting  house  of  the  owners  of  the  Wenonah:  it 
brought  joy  to  his  heart — it  told  how  his  letters  had  raised 
such  a  storm  that  Colburn  would  be  put  out  of  the  ship. 
This,  with  the  strong  current  on  board  running  counter  to 
the  Captain,  and  the  fair  wind  and  tide  in  his  own  direction, 
put  the  First  Mate  on  solid  footing  again — he  grew  arro- 
gant !  Toward  the  men  ?  O  no :  toward  the  Captain! 
Considering  him  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice,  he  thought 
to  push  him  over — to  treat  him  with  curt  insolence, 
which  the  Captain  would  fear  to  resent:  but  the  first  time 
he  tried  it,  he  got  such  a  rude  set-back,  that  like  the  com- 
plaisant weather  vane  he  was,  he  instantly  swung  round  to 
the  new  shift  of  wind.  He  was  far  too  shrewd  to  have  a 
second  throttling,  either  literal  or  metaphorical,  to  his 
discredit  when  they  should  reach  New  York;  and  so  the 
mouth  that  opened  with  a  snarl,  closed  with  a  smile. 

Hawse  was  a  keen  observer  of  human  weaknesses  and  a 
skillful  manipulator  of  them  to  his  own  advantage.  A 
slang  phrase  of  the  day — "  What  is  there  in  it  for  me  ?" — 
expressed  exactly  his  view  of  every  situation,  and  he 
worked  it  accordingly,  Now  Ruggles  could  not  be  solaced 


TREACHERY  393 

with  rum,  for  he  did  not  drink — that  is,  he  cared  so  little 
for  it  that  Hawse  knew  he  could  make  nothing  out  of  him 
by  means  of  it;  but  the  Engineer  had  a  weakness — the 
vanity  of  absolute  sway  in  his  own  department;  and  as  a 
concomitant,  that  it  should  be  brought  into  action  when- 
ever possible,  to  exhibit  himself  as  the  power  that  moved  the 
ship:  that  any  other  force,  physical  or  mental,  terrestrial 
or  celestial,  entered  into  the  combination  that  made  the 
propeller  revolve,  never  occurred  to  him.  It  was  there- 
fore a  rankling  wound  to  his  feelings  that  the  Captain 
should  employ  sail  as  much  as  he  did  where  steam  is 
ordinarily  used:  worse,  Ruggles  felt  acutely  the  control 
(slight  though  it  was)  which  Colburn  exercised  over  his 
department. 

The  Captain  early  saw  that  he  was  a  capable  engineer 
and  full  of  interest  in  his  work — that  he  needed  neither 
urging  nor  watching  to  do  it  well :  he  therefore  had  the  good 
sense  to  let  him  alone,  knowing  that  his  efficiency  would  be 
impaired  by  any  other  course;  but  in  his  general  inspec- 
tion of  the  ship  he  took  a  glance  at  the  Engineer's  depart- 
ment, more  to  keep  himself  informed  than  make  any 
adverse  criticism — indeed  he  never  did  this  (his  comments 
were  mostly  complimentary) — but  Ruggles  could  not  brook 
even  this  supervision :  the  former  captain  never  came  into 
his  engine-room,  so  that  Ruggles  resented  the  innovation. 

Hawse  early  perceived  the  thorn  and  proceeded  to  tip  it 
with  poison:  the  Engineer  was  a  prime  factor  in  his 
scheme,  and  to  enable  him  to  further  it,  he  had  filled  up 
Ruggles  with  so  much  jealousy  and  resentment,  that  (as 
we  have  seen)  the  Engineer  was  willing  to  have  a  fictitious 
breakdown  of  the  machinery  on  two  occasions.  And  yet 
no  man  could  have  been  more  tender  of  Ruggles'  pro- 


394      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

fessional  sensibilities  than  Colburn  was:  truly,  Hawse 
knew  how  to  corrupt ! 

The  day  was  glorious  beyond  description,  and  the  Cap- 
tain and  his  passengers  were  on  the  poop,  all  elated  with 
the  delights  of  sky,  sea,  and  land :  the  Island  of  Santa  Cruz 
was  close  aboard  on  the  starboard  beam,  and  afforded  a 
welcome  rest  to  the  eye  from  the  brilliance  of  sun  and  sea. 
Every  once  in  a  while  some  one  would  jump  up  and 
exclaim:  "Isn't  this  glorious!"— "Isn't  it  delightful!" 
as  if  the  feelings  must  have  vent  in  some  burst  of  gladness. 
The  Doctor  alone  was  meditative — gazing  at  sea  and 
shore  as  if  absorbed  in  some  speculative  reverie. 

Santa  Cruz  is  generally  known  by  its  French  name, 
Sainte  Croix;  but  at  present  it  is  neither  French  nor 
Spanish,  but  Danish,  as  is  also  the  Island  of  St.  Thomas, 
forty  miles  to  the  northward.  Santa  Cruz  was  discovered 
by  Columbus  on  his  second  voyage,  and  has  in  turn  been 
Dutch,  English,  French,  and  Spanish :  the  Danes  bought  it 
in  1733.  The  population  is  a  sprinkling  of  different 
nationalities  upon  a  foundation  of  negroes,  numbering 
(in  1901)  about  nineteen  thousand;  and  although  various 
languages  are  spoken,  English  prevails. 

The  Wenonah  was  passing  Frederichstad,  a  town  at  the 
western  end  of  Santa  Cruz:  toward  the  east  and  south  the 
land  was  quite  level  and  dotted  with  plantation  buildings, 
while  in  every  direction  lay  extensive  fields  of  sugar  cane: 
through  these  fields  ran  long  lines  of  cocoa-nut  trees  indicat- 
ing the  location  and  course  of  the  highways.  To  the 
north,  hills  arose,  covered  with  forests;  a  soft  haze  and 
filmy  patches  of  cloud  hung  among  the  trees  and  made  a 
pleasing  contrast  with  the  green  of  their  foliage.  The 
view  everywhere  was  indeed  pleasing,  quiet,  and  peaceful — 


TREACHERY  395 

fully  warranting  the  exuberance  of  feeling  experienced  by 
all. 

"Doctor,  what  are  you  so  deep  in  thought  about?" 
asked  the  Captain. 

"  I  am  thinking  how  like  a  cat  this  sea  is — now  so  smooth 
and  harmless  that  one  would  never  think  it  had  claws,  and 
could  rend  and  tear!  Were  you  ever  shipwrecked,  Cap- 
tain?" 

"  Not  exactly,  if  you  mean  by  that,  going  to  pieces  in  a 
storm:  but  right  over  there — off  that  town — I  was  on  a 
small  vessel  which  was  driven  ashore  by  a  tidal  wave  follow- 
ing an  earthquake." 

"Why,  that's  a  rare  experience — much  more  so  than 
wreck  by  storm:  tell  us  about  it";  and  all  gathered  round 
to  hear  the  following  account : 

"  It  was  in  1867,  November  18th — a  clear,  calm,  beautiful 
day,  with  sky  and  sea  as  serene  as  at  present.  I  was  Mate 
of  a  small  brig  anchored  about  half  a  mile  off  shore. 
Toward  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  were  under  the 
awning  smoking,  when  we  were  startled  by  an  ominous 
rumbling,  and  vibration  of  the  ship — she  trembled  from 
stem  to  stern  as  if  steam  were  blowing  off  violently  from  the 
boilers.  Our  brig  was  a  sailing  vessel,  however,  so  of 
course  none  of  us  thought  of  this  as  an  explanation — I 
merely  state  it  to  illustrate  the  feeling. 

"We  were  struck  with  astonishment;  but  hearing  a 
commotion  in  the  town,  we  looked  that  way,  and  saw 
people  running  about  wildly  and  screaming;  dust  rising 
and  chimneys  falling;  and  then  we  knew  it  was  an  earth- 
quake. 

"One  of  us  happened  to  glance  seaward,  and  shouted 
to  the  rest  to  look  at  a  huge  wall  of  water  coming  in:  it 


396       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

extended  all  along  the  western  horizon — a  terrifying  sight! 
It  didn't  comb  as  a  wave  on  reaching  shelving  ground,  but 
kept  right  on  in  one  solid  blue  mass.  We  judged  it  to  be 
fully  sixty  feet  high,  and  thought  it  would  break  when 
nearer,  and  topple  on  our  decks  and  sink  us. 

"But  at  the  same  instant,  an  equally  frightful  sight 
arose  inshore — the  sea  was  running  out  like  a  mill-race! 
The  bottom  was  bare  in  places — not  two  fathoms'  depth 
was  under  the  ship — and  still  the  water  was  rushing  out 
with  seething  fury.  Almost  aground,  and  a  monster  wave 
closing  in  upon  us!  We  could  but  wait  its  onset,  and  the 
suspense  was  terrible — the  anxiety  of  a  life-time  crowded 
into  a  few  minutes :  there  was  our  doom  coming  on — roll- 
ing in  with  mighty  force — growing  larger  and  speeding 
faster  every  second,  and  all  we  could  do  was  to  watch  and 
wait  for  the  staggering  blow.  It  came — struck  us  broad- 
side on — threw  the  vessel  on  her  beam  ends,  and  hurled 
us  all  in  a  heap  against  the  port  bulwarks. 

"  When  we  got  to  our  feet,  it  was  to  find  the  brig  driving 
in  on  top  of  the  wave.  She  had  snapped  her  chain,  and 
righted  at  once  after  being  knocked  down :  the  wave  passed 
under  and  bore  us  on  without  combing,  and  we  got  no 
water  on  the  deck.  I  shall  never  forget  the  appearance 
of  things,  and  the  thoughts  that  occurred  to  me  as  we  drove 
toward  the  shore.  The  sea  over-flowed  the  level  country 
around  the  town  and  far  inland — the  water  was  up  to  the 
second  stories  of  buildings  and  still  rising — the  Island 
seemed  sinking — and  we  appeared  to  be  sucked  in  toward 
the  whirlpool  where  the  last  hill  should  disappear! 

"  We  looked  calmly,  and  I  may  say  without  fear  on 
what  we  believed  our  destruction:  events  occurred  in 
quick  succession,  however;  and  perhaps  we  were  a 


TREACHERY  397 

little    dazed — incapable    of    fully    realizing    what    was 
happening. 

"  We  shot  past  a  small  fort  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
town — you  see  it  yonder — and  were  carried  inland  over 
some  low  ground,  when  a  return  wave  caught  us  and  bore 
us  back;  but  the  water  receded  more  rapidly  than  the 
vessel,  and  left  us  stranded  in  a  swamp  a  few  hundred 
yards  from  the  usual  water-line. 

"Then  wave  followed  wave — in,  and  out,  alternately — 
each  smaller  than  the  one  before,  until  finally  the  sea 
settled  down  to  its  normal  condition.  Its  surface  was 
then  seen  to  be  covered  with  all  kinds  of  articles,  drifted  out 
from  the  town — provisions,  dead  animals,  furniture, 
clothing,  dry  goods,  and  everything  else  that  could  float: 
the  stores  were  burst  open  by  the  flooding  sea  which 
carried  off  their  contents  in  receding. 

"  I  suppose  that  not  more  than  five  or  six  minutes  elapsed 
from  the  time  we  first  saw  the  wave  until  the  vessel  was 
hopelessly  wrecked ;  and  the  appalling  phase  of  this  de- 
struction was  the  quiet  amidst  which  it  was  accomplished ! 
The  earth  shook — everything  rattled — objects  were  top- 
pled over;  but  the  air  was  calm,  and  the  sun  shone  as  bright 
as  at  this  moment.  It  was  the  hidden  working  of  a  tre- 
mendous force  that  was  terrifying — we  could  see  and  feel 
its  effects,  but  nothing  of  the  force  itself:  outwardly,  all 
was  peaceable  and  at  rest.  An  earthquake  is  the  most 
awe-inspiring  of  natural  phenomena:  one  doesn't  know 
when  or  where  it  will  break  out — any  move  may  be  fatal — 
and  this  insecurity  blanches  the  cheek  and  starts  a  cold 
perspiration  from  every  pore.  It  is  no  shameful  thing  to 
confess  to  fear  of  an  earthquake:  you  cannot  fight  it,  or 
ward  it  off,  or  provide  against  it,  or  escape  it,  or  in  any 


398      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

other  way  exert  yourself  against  this  power  of  the  Infinite ! 
You  feel  you  are  in  the  hollow  of  God's  hand,  and  await 
with  trembling  His  action. 

"  I  think  several  lives  were  lost,  but  I  never  learned  how 
many.  There  was  great  damage  to  property,  and  nearly 
all  the  provisions  in  the  town  were  destroyed.  The 
people  made  for  the  high  ground  back  of  the  town,  and 
were  thus  mostly  all  saved.  The  negroes  congregated  in 
the  churches  after  the  water  had  subsided,  and  it  was 
pitiable  to  hear  their  cries  of  despair  at  each  shock;  for 
although  the  waves  of  the  sea  went  down,  the  tremors  of 
the  earth  continued  for  many  days,  and  some  of  the  shocks 
were  severe  enough  to  crack  walls,  throw  down  pictures 
and  mirrors,  and  cause  furniture  to  jump  about  in  a  very 
uncanny  way.  At  such  times,  as  things  in  the  churches 
shared  in  the  general  commotion,  the  beseeching  yells 
and  moans  of  the  negroes  for  mercy  were  heartrending. 

"I  want  to  correct  here  a  statement  often  made  in  the 
magazines  and  newspapers — that  a  ship  of  our  Navy 
(the  Monongahela)  was  driven  ashore  at  St.  Thomas  by 
a  tidal  wave,  and  cruised  over  the  tops  of  houses,  finally 
stranding  on  the  beach.  The  disaster  occurred  at  SANTA 
CRUZ — I  was  there,  and  saw  it :  she  did  not  cruise  over  the 
tops  of  houses,  for  the  water  never  reached  their  tops: 
she  went  in  on  the  same  wave  that  wrecked  our  little  brig, 
and  had  exactly  the  same  experience;  for  both  vessels 
were  only  a  short  distance  apart,  going,  as  we  then  ex- 
pected, helplessly  to  destruction.  But  as  soon  as  the 
Monongahela  approached  the  row  of  houses  on  the  water 
front,  a  return  wave  struck  her,  carried  her  out  as  far  as  the 
usual  water  line,  where  the  bilge  brought  up  against  a 
small  coral  reef,  and  she  stranded,  heeling  over  consider- 


TREACHERY  399 

ably.  She  suffered  much  damage,  and  some  lives  were 
lost — men  in  boats  astern  who  hadn't  time  to  get  on  board 
before  the  wave  struck  her,  and  others  hurled  overboard 
with  a  60-pounder  on  the  forecastle,  when  she  was  thrown 
almost  on  her  beam  ends  as  we  were.  Material  was  sent 
down  from  New  York — ways  built,  and  she  was  launched, 
broadside  to,  and  proceeded  home  by  herself:  she  was  then 
a  steamer,  with  sails  bark-rigged :  the  engines  and  boilers 
were  subsequently  taken  out  and  she  became  entirely  a 
sailing  ship:  her  end  was  tragic — she  was  completely 
destroyed  by  fire  very  lately  at  Guantanamo." 

The  Wenonah  passed  close  to  St.  Thomas,  the  last  of  the 
Leeward  Islands  which  enclose  the  Caribbean  on  the 
north;  and  she  was  now  on  the  final  stretch  for  home:  the 
next  land  to  be  seen,  was  the  Highlands  of  Navesink — 
then  round  Sandy  Hook — sail  up  the  Narrows — and  let 
go  the  anchor  off  New  York ! 

The  thought  sent  a  thrill  through  Colburn — the  goal  was 
almost  in  sight — he  wanted  to  reach  it  without  mishap. 

The  weather  continued  propitious :  the  breeze  freshened, 
and  the  first  day  in  the  open  sea,  the  ship  made  her  ten 
knots  an  hour;  the  second  and  the  third  day  she  did  the 
same,  so  that  by  evening  of  this  day  she  was  well  up  toward 
the  latitude  of  Bermuda.  The  passengers  were  in  high 
spirits,  and  the  Captain  was  jubilant:  he  had  been  much 
on  deck  day  and  night  since  passing  St.  Thomas,  to  see  that 
the  utmost  was  gotten  out  of  the  ship — that  every  inch  of 
canvas  was  set,  every  yard  properly  laid,  and  the  course 
the  most  direct.  He  was  excited — almost  feverish  with  the 
anticipation  the  gambler  feels  who  stakes  his  all  on  a 
number  and  anxiously  watches  the  ball  circle  round. 

Hawse,  too,  was  delighted;  but  with  the  exultation  of 


400      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Mephistopheles  in  the  last  act  of  Faust:  his  long  watched 
prey  was  now  within  reach — the  trap-door  open — and  all 
ready  to  extend  the  mantle,  envelop  the  victim,  and  drag 
him  down  to  perdition!  The  Trade- wind  rose  and  fell — 
moaning  through  the  rigging  like  Gounod's  sad  strains  so 
fittingly  suggestive  of  the  lost  soul  going  to  its  doom;  the 
ship  rolled  quickly  and  deep  to  a  beam  swell ;  and  the  dis- 
tance from  port  was  exactly  right:  yes,  if  he  had  ordered 
the  conditions,  the  success  of  his  scheme  could  not  be 
more  promising. 

All  the  afternoon  Hawse  walked  up  and  down  the  star- 
board waist:  his  face  indicated  intense  thought  on  some 
matter — something  aloft,  for  he  frequently  looked  up 
toward  the  main  top.  At  length,  he  stopped  near  the  ship's 
side,  and  leaning  his  back  against  the  rail,  fixed  his  gaze 
on  the  forward  part  of  the  main  mast,  about  six  feet  below 
the  top.  He  had  been  thus  absorbed  some  minutes,  when, 
as  if  suddenly  realizing  that  the  project  in  his  mind  might 
be  suspected  by  some  one  watching  him,  he  turned  quickly 
around  and  looked  out  to  sea:  but  he  could  not  resist  the 
fascination  of  whatever  attracted  him  aloft;  so,  in  order  to 
disguise  his  thoughts,  he  walked  forward  and  looked  at 
the  same  part  of  the  foremast,  then  aft  at  the  corresponding 
point  of  the  mizzen,  and  finally  back  to  the  main — all 
with  alternate  glances  at  the  sails  and  yards,  the  backstays 
and  the  fore-and-aft  stays:  his  scrutiny  might  well  seem 
to  indicate  solicitude  for  everything  being  taut  and  trim. 

Sam  Ruggles  approached  unawares  and  said  : 

"Well,  it's  all  right,  isn't  it?" 

"What's  all  right?"  snapped  Hawse  with  an  angry 
start,  as  if  his  thoughts  had  been  divined. 

"Why,  you  were  watching  things  aloft  as  if  you  weren't 


TREACHERY  401 

quite  sure  every  sail  was  doing  its  best — are  you  so  anxious 
to  help  Colburn  get  into  port  ?" 

"  I  may  not  be;  but  every  seaman  wants  to  see  a  ship  do 
her  best  in  a  good  breeze:  it  is  like  a  horse-race — one's 
blood  is  up — he  wants  to  see  something  win,  even  though 
it  is  not  his  own  steed." 

"  Yes,  but  I  don't  think  we  want  to  see  Colburn  come  out 
ahead  in  this  business — do  we?" 

"No,  but  old  habits  cling  to  one;  and  I've  been  in  the 
habit  so  many  years  of  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  on  the 
sails  and  rigging,  that  I  was  doing  it  without  thinking. 
One  gets  into  a  groove  of  doing  his  duty:  now,  to-morrow 
I'm  going  to  overhaul  the  ground  tackle;  we  haven't 
moored  ship  this  voyage — we'll  have  to  do  it  at  New  York, 
and  I  want  to  have  everything  in  apple-pie  order.  Swivels 
and  pins  may  be  stuck  fast  with  rust ;  so  to  avoid  any  hitch, 
I'm  going  \  examine  them  to-morrow.  Do  you  happen 
to  know  anything  that  will  eat  away  rust  and  loosen  a  pin 
or  bolt  that  can't  be  pulled  out  ?" 

"Yes,  I  have  just  the  thing — a  preparation  I  got  in 
Frisco:  I've  had  nuts  rust  on  so  hard — big  ones,  too — that 
not  a  wrench  in  the  ship  could  turn  them;  but  I  pour  some 
of  my  acid  on  them,  and  in  a  few  minutes  it  eats  its  way 
around  the  thread  and  they  come  off  easy." 

" I  wish  you  would  send  me  some  of  it:  I  don't  think  I'll 
need  it,  but  'tis  best  to  have  it  at  hand  if  I  do:  send  me  a 
monkey  wrench,  too." 

"All  right,"  said  Ruggles;  and  he  went  below  to  send 
the  articles  up. 

The  ship  was  making  a  fine  run,  uncomfortable  though 
it  was  from  the  incessant  rolling  to  a  beam  swell — the  long 
sea  of  the  Trade  winds.  The  weather  had  been  clear 


402      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  beautiful,  but  toward  evening  of  the  day  on  which 
Hawse  and  Ruggles  held  the  conversation  related  above,  a 
change  was  evident  from  the  appearance  of  the  sky  and 
the  indications  of  the  barometer.  The  latter  began  to 
fluctuate,  with  a  general  down  ward 'tendency — slight,  but 
decided:  clouds  gathered,  the  horizon  became  misty,  and 
the  air  damp.  But  more  than  these  signs,  the  sea  indicated 
that  some  violent  disturbance  of  the  atmosphere  had  taken 
place  in  the  far  off  distance:  the  waves  came  in  from  the 
northeast  in  enormous  volumes — mass  upon  mass  as  if 
raised  by  a  much  stronger  wind  than  the  Wenonah  had. 
The  threatening  appearances  continued  during  the  first 
watch,  particularly  the  swell;  but  the  barometer  began  to 
hold  out  a  ray  of  hope — it  jumped  a  few  hundredths  of  an 
inch,  now  up,  now  down,  but  on  the  whole  was  no  lower 
at  midnight  than  it  had  been  at  eight  o'clock.  The  Cap- 
tain was  on  deck  a  good  deal,  and  watched  the  conditions 
closely:  that  a  storm  was  raging  somewhere,  he  had  no 
doubt — the  gusty,  squally  wind  denoted  that;  but  he 
judged  from  the  behavior  of  the  barometer  that  it  was  only 
its  receding  blasts  they  were  experiencing. 

The  First  Mate  had  the  middle  watch,  and  as  the  Cap- 
tain had  entire  confidence  in  his  seamanship,  he  went 
below  at  midnight  and  turned  in,  leaving  word  to  be  called 
if  the  weather  got  decidedly  worse,  and  at  any  rate  to  call 
him  at  daylight. 

The  first  three  hours  of  the  middle  watch  dragged  on 
without  incident — dark,  foul,  and  squally;  and  the  ship 
rolled  and  rolled  until  this  seemed  her  only  motion. 

On  each  lower-mast,  some  six  feet  below  the  top,  is  the 
spider-band — a  broad,  stout  ring  of  iron  which  (on  the 
Wenonah)  was  sunk  into  a  groove  in  the  mast,  not  flush 


TREACHERY  403 

with  the  wood,  but  deep  enough  to  keep  it  from  slipping: 
the  band  was  not  a  complete  circle,  but  on  the  forward 
part  was  cut  and  formed  into  two  strong  jaws:  these  had 
holes  in  them,  through  which  a  stout  bolt  passed,  having 
a  solid  head  on  the  outside  of  one  jaw  and  a  heavy  nut  on 
the  outside  of  the  other:  by  setting  up  this  nut  to  the  full, 
it  tightened  the  band  in  its  groove  and  fixed  it  firmly  on 
the  mast.  A  pin  on  the  outside  of  the  nut  kept  it  from 
working  loose. 

From  the  spider-band  the  futtock  shrouds  extend  to 
the  outer  rim  of  the  top;  they  consist  of  thick  iron  rods 
fastened  to  the  under  side  of  the  top  and  thus  brace  it  down 
firmly  to  the  mast;  the  topmast  rigging  comes  down  to  the 
upper  side  of  the  top  near  the  rim  and  receives  both  spread 
and  secondary  support  from  the  top,  while  its  primary 
support  is  the  spider-band:  thus,  in  reality,  everything 
above  the  lower  mast  depends  on  the  spider-band  for  sup- 
port. It  is  probably  the  most  important  single  piece  of 
equipment  in  the  ship. 

At  six  bells  of  his  watch,  Hawse  told  the  quartermaster 
at  the  wheel  to  keep  a  sharp  eye  on  the  steering,  as  he  was 
going  forward  to  see  how  things  looked  ahead.  It  was 
pitch  dark,  and  a  fine  drizzle  filled  the  air — a  foul  and 
dirty  night!  Hawse  went  quickly  to  the  mainmast — took 
the  monkey  wrench  and  can  of  acid  from  their  stow  hole — 
slung  the  wrench  around  his  neck  with  a  lanyard — put  the 
can  in  his  pocket — jumped  into  the  rigging,  and  laid  aloft 
as  nimbly  as  any  man  in  the  crew. 

In  a  minute  he  had  the  nut  of  the  spider-band  gripped 
with  the  monkey-wrench  (after  pulling  out  the  pin),  and 
gave  it  a  jerk;  but  it  held  firm — he  might  as  well  have 
tried  to  turn  the  topsail  sheet  bitts.  When  satisfied  he 


404      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

could  do  nothing  by  mere  strength,  he  took  the  can  and 
squirted  acid  all  round  the  thread  of  the  nut  wherever 
he  could  get  at  it:  while  waiting  to  have  it  do  its  work,  he 
lashed  a  stout  bar  of  iron  that  was  in  the  top,  to  the  handle 
of  the  wrench,  to  give  it  greater  leverage.  Then  he  tried 
again,  and  after  much  effort  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing 
a  sharp  click,  as  of  the  separation  of  metal  surfaces — 
evidently  the  acid  had  eaten  its  way  nearly  round  the 
thread  and  his  last  tug  had  broken  the  slight  contact  that 
remained.  He  squirted  more  acid  into  the  thread,  and 
waited  a  few  minutes:  then  he  tried  again,  and  to  his 
delight  the  nut  turned  easily:  he  loosened  it,  but  only  a 
little — not  half  a  turn,  and  then  put  the  can  in  his  pocket, 
slung  the  wrench,  and  laid  down  from  aloft. 

After  secreting  the  tools,  he  went  up  on  the  poop,  with  as 
little  show  of  emotion  as  if  he  had  merely  been  on  the 
errand  he  gave  out  to  the  quartermaster.  He  had  not  been 
gone  fifteen  minutes — no  one  knew  of  his  design — no  one 
saw  him — none,  save  the  All  Watching  Eye  that  sees  foul 
deeds  as  well  as  good,  "  and  will  render  to  every  man  accord- 
ing to  his  works." 

Half  an  hour  passed,  the  weather  still  dark  and  misty: 
at  fifteen  minutes  to  eight  bells  Hawse  slipped  quietly  off 
the  poop,  went  quickly  forward,  got  the  wrench  and  acid, 
and  laid  aloft:  he  tried  the  nut — it  moved  easily,  so  he 
pitched  the  can  of  acid  into  the  sea.  Then  he  turned  the 
nut  slowly — the  bolt  loosened — he  turned  more  and 
listened  for  the  crackling  sound  that  denotes  the  separation 
of  surfaces  long  in  contact.  It  came:  he  gave  a  further 
turn  to  ensure  success — that  the  rolling  of  the  ship  would 
eventually  work  the  nut  loose  and  the  spider-band  out  of 
its  groove :  when  satisfied  of  this,  he  slung  the  wrench,  laid 


TREACHERY  405 

down  from  aloft,  and  reached  the  poop  in  time  to  give  the 
order,  "Strike  eight  bells  and  call  the  watch!"  When 
relieved  by  the  Second  Mate,  he  turned  in,  but  not  to  sleep : 
no,  he  lay  awake  waiting — anxiously  waiting  for  the  fatal 
roll  that  should  be  the  coup  de  grace  of  his  scheme. 

At  daylight  the  Captain  was  called.  The  morning  was 
dismal,  but  the  barometer  had  an  upward  tendency  and 
the  wind  was  abating.  The  sea,  however,  still  ran  high, 
and  the  motion  of  the  ship  was  intolerable.  At  early  dawn 
the  passengers  turned  out:  sleep  and  rest  were  out  of  the 
question,  and  even  when  up,  the  discomfort  was  great — 
walking  was  impossible,  and  to  sit  or  stand  required  a 
constant  effort  against  the  violent  motion  of  the  ship. 
She  plunged  into  a  mass  of  water — rose — quivered  on  the 
liquid  summit — then  slid  down  its  receding  slope,  and 
rolled  amidst  a  succession  of  combing  waves  that  followed 
some  tremendous  sea.  But  with  it  all,  she  was  driving 
on  her  course :  every  mile  made,  was  a  mile  nearer  the  goal, 
and  the  Captain  held  on. 

By  eight  o'clock  the  wind  had  fallen  more,  the  sun  came 
out,  and  the  barometer  was  steadily  rising:  then  the  Cap- 
tain knew  that  the  storm,  if  such  it  were,  was  passing  from 
them.  An  hour  later  the  wind  veered  to  the  southward 
and  fell  to  a  light  breeze,  but  the  motion  of  the  ship  con- 
tinued ;  the  swell  was  almost  abeam — one  undulation  after 
another  with  towering  crest  and  yawning  trough,  to  which 
the  ship  rolled  until  her  main  yard  almost  dipped  into  every 
billow  as  it  came  with  might  and  majesty. 

The  breeze  became  fitful,  and  as  its  pressure  on  the 
sails  lessened,  every  roll  knocked  the  wind  out  of  them, 
and  they  lashed  back  against  the  masts  with  a  force  that 
threatened  to  tear  them  from  the  bolt  ropes. 


406      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

About  the  middle  of  the  forenoon,  the  Captain  decided 
to  bring  the  ship  to  the  wind  (which  was  then  on  the 
quarter)  until  the  sea  should  go  down :  he  took  the  deck,  all 
hands  were  called,  and  every  officer  went  to  his  station. 
The  passengers  came  on  the  poop  to  watch  the  manoeuvre. 
All  hatches  were  battened  down.  The  royals  were  taken 
in,  and  courses  hauled  up,  but  nothing  furled:  all  other 
sail  remained  on  the  ship.  He  watched  for  a  smooth  time, 
put  the  helm  down,  and  gradually  braced  the  yards  up  on 
the  starboard  tack:  she  was  coming  easily  to  the  wind  when 
a  heavy  sea  struck  her — she  rolled  deeply  to  port — there 
was  a  loud  crack  aloft — and  all  looked  up  to  see  everything 
on  the  main  come  down  with  a  thundering  crash!  In  one 
tangled  mass — sails,  spars,  and  rigging — topsail,  to 'gallant 
sail,  and  royal;  masts  and  yards;  shrouds  and  stays,  all 
fell  on  the  main  yard  and  cock  billed  it  to  port :  the  topmast 
was  broken  in  two  pieces,  the  lower  cap  split,  and  the  head 
of  the  lower  mast  wrenched  off:  the  main  top  was  broken  in 
halves,  the  half  to  port  forming  part  of  the  wreck  that  fell 
on  that  side,  while  the  starboard  half  was  tilted  upward. 
From  both  halves  hung  the  futtock  shrouds,  twisted  and 
bent,  but  still  attached  to  the  spider-band,  which  was 
drawn  out  of  all  shape,  though  not  broken:  it  was  of 
wrought  iron.  The  jaws  were  wide  apart,  and  the  nut 
and  bolt  gone. 

There  was  much  damage  to  the  fore  and  mizzen  also: 
the  upper  stays  leading  from  these  masts  to  the  main, 
brought  down  in  their  own  wreck  the  fore  and  mizzen 
to 'gallant  masts,  yards,  and  sails,  with  of  course  the  royals. 

The  ship  presented  a  pitiable  sight — her  proud  crest 
of  masts  gone,  she  looked  like  a  headless  body!  It  was  so 
sudden — such  a  wreck  in  little  more  than  a  calm,  that  it 


i 
•s 


TREACHERY  407 

could  be  likened  to  nothing  but  the  blinding  flash  in  a  clear 
sky :  all  were  struck  dumb :  they  could  but  stand  and  stare 
and  wonder  what  had  done  it — for  a  moment  none  found 
speech  or  motion. 

Then  the  Captain  recovering,  called  a  seaman  and  sent 
him  with  orders  to  the  Engineer  to  get  up  steam  at  once, 
and  as  rapidly  as  possible. 

"  O  yes,"  muttered  Ruggles  when  the  messenger  had  left 
him :  "  in  your  hour  of  need  you  call  on  me,  but  this  time 
you'll  call  in  vain.  I  have  my  innings  now,  and  you'll 
wallow  long  in  your  wreck  and  ruin  before  Sam  Ruggles 
will  lend  a  hand  to  pull  you  out.  I  remember  Frisco  and 
your  jaunty  uniform  order.  I  remember  the  many  times 
since,  that  you  airily  sailed  in  and  out  of  port  disdaining  my 
engine:  now  you'll  find  your  way  to  New  York  with  your 
damn  sails.  I'll  have  my  revenge.  O  yes,  I'll  get  up 
steam,  but  not  a  mile  will  it  drive  you  toward  port!" 
And  with  this,  he  went  to  make  a  semblance  of  complying 
with  the  order. 

The  Captain  now  proceeded  to  clear  away  the  wreck. 
Brooks  went  at  once  to  him  and  said :  "  Captain,  I  am  an 
old  topman,  and  will  lend  a  hand  at  the  main." 

The  Doctor  and  Northrup  also  came  up  and  said: 
"Captain,  we're  not  like  our  young  friend  here — handy 
seamen;  but  we  can  pull  a  rope  or  lift  a  spar,  and  here  we 
are  with  coats  off  ready  to  do  our  best :  I  guess  we  had  better 
work  with  Brooks." 

None  of  them  expressed  sympathy  or  regret  at  the  acci- 
dent, but  Colburn  knew  from  their  natures  that  both  these 
feelings  filled  their  hearts,  hidden  under  their  matter  of 
fact  action :  he  simply  answered,  "  I  am  very  thankful  for 
all  the  help  I  can  get," 


408      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

The  first  endeavor  was  to  remove  such  hamper  as  ob- 
structed the  sail  yet  available  for  setting;  and  within  a 
few  hours  the  foretopsail,  mizzen  topsail,  and  some  fore 
and  aft  sail  were  drawing:  the  ship  would  come  to  the 
wind — lie  there  a  short  time — then  fall  off,  and  roll  and 
wallow,  while  parts  of  the  wreck  thumped  the  side  as  if 
to  stave  it  in. 

It  usually  took  four  hours  to  get  up  steam,  and  when  this 
time  had  elapsed,  Colburn  sent  to  the  Engineer  to  know 
when  he  would  be  ready:  the  answer  came  that  he  couldn't 
tell — he  was  having  some  trouble — possibly  it  would  be  an 
hour.  That  limit  passed,  and  he  came  on  deck  to  say  that 
unless  they  could  steady  the  ship,  he  could  not  couple  the 
propeller.  The  Captain  made  every  disposition  of  sail 
possible  to  keep  her  quiet,  and  she  was  so  at  intervals — 
long  enough  for  any  man  to  do  the  work ;  but  Ruggles  had 
no  intention  of  doing  it  when  he  could. 

Another  hour  was  wasted  in  simulated  effort — he 
delayed  as  long  as  he  thought  the  matter  would  bear,  and 
then  reported  the  engine  ready.  The  propeller  turned — 
the  ship  forged  ahead — but  the  engine  had  not  been  going 
half  an  hour  when  it  came  to  a  sudden  stop.  Ruggles  sent 
word  to  the  Captain  that  the  air  pump  gave  out,  but  that  he 
would  try  to  repair  the  damage.  It  was  a  lie — nothing 
gave  out;  he  meant  to  dally  with  the  Captain — to  delude 
him  with  hope,  so  that  he  might  rely  on  what  should  ulti- 
mately fail.  Then  he  banked  the  fires  and  proceeded  to 
tinker  at  the  air  pump,  so  as  to  be  found  at  work  in  case 
the  Captain  or  some  one  from  the  deck  should  come  down. 

Somebody  did  come — Hawse! 

"  Well,  Sam ;  now  is  the  time  to  stir  up  that  old  machine — 
we're  in  a  bad  fix," 


TREACHERY  409 

They  looked  at  each  other,  and  both  burst  out  laughing. 
Then  Hawse  drew  a  flask  from  his  pocket — took  off  the 
cover  (which  formed  a  cup),  filled  it,  and  handed  it  to 
Ruggles,  saying, 

"Take  this  for  good  luck  in  getting  that  pump  ready"; 
and  again  both  laughed  with  a  knowing  leer. 

"Anything  I  can  do  to  help  you,  Sam ?" 

"Yes,  spread  the  fires  under  that  boiler  and  put  on 
more  coal — you  know  I  must  have  a  good  head  of  steam 
when  this  job  is  done";  and  again  both  chuckled. 

"  Arthur:  There  is  no  malice  in  this  burning  coal ; 

The  breath  of  heaven  hath  blown  his  spirit  out, 
And  strew'd  repentant  ashes  on  his  head. 

"  Hubert:  But  with  my  breath  I  can  revive  it,  boy. 

"  Arthur:   And  if  you  do,  you  will  but  make  it  blush 
And  glow  with  shame  of  your  proceedings. " 

Sunset  came,  and  still  no  engine  moved;  nor  did  it  dur- 
ing the  night,  nor  the  next  day,  nor  ever  again  (except 
spasmodically)  during  the  dragging  days  that  elapsed 
before  the  ship  anchored  off  the  battery  at  New  York. 

Ruggles  kept  his  pact,  and  gratified  his  vengeful  spirit: 
he  devised  one  break-down  after  another  to  keep  the 
engine  from  working  more  than  a  few  minutes  at  a  time, 
until  the  Captain,  suspecting  some  design  in  this  series  of 
accidents,  finally  dispensed  with  it  altogether — had  the 
fires  hauled,  propeller  uncoupled — and  worked  his  way  to 
port  under  jury  rig.  Colburn  was  no  engineer,  and  had 
no  one  he  could  rely  upon  to  detect  Ruggles'  treachery  and 
replace  him ;  but  he  had  sails,  he  knew  how  to  use  them,  and 
there  was  wind  to  fill  them ;  so  he  was  not  as  helpless  as  Sam 
Ruggles  thought,  or  Jacob  Hawse  wished. 


410      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

When  Brooks  (whilom  seaman,  topman,  and  boat- 
swain's mate  in  the  Navy,  and  subsequently  first  mate  of  a 
clipper  ship)  laid  aloft,  after  tendering  his  services  to  the 
Captain,  it  was  to  see  what  could  be  done  toward  getting 
the  main  top  back  in  place.  On  examining  the  spider- 
band,  he  was  surprised  to  find  some  bright  patches  on  its 
jaws,  as  if  cleaned  by  an  acid :  he  smelled  of  it — it  had  an 
acid  odor!  He  laid  down  from  aloft  at  once — searched 
about  the  deck — found  the  nut:  that,  too,  had  a  clean 
surface  and  acid  odor!  He  found  the  bolt,  also  clean  in 
spots  and  smelling  of  acid!  But  more  than  all  this,  the 
threads  of  the  bolt  nearest  the  end,  and  some  on  the  nut, 
were  stripped  off  smooth,  as  if  the  nut  had  worked  its  way 
partly  off,  and  then  been  pulled  entirely  off  by  a  violent 
tug,  thereby  tearing  away  the  remaining  threads  of  nut 
and  bolt  that  had  been  in  contact.  Such  an  explanation 
was  readily  afforded  by  what  actually  occurred — the  heavy 
pull  of  the  topmast  when  its  support  was  loosened  and  it 
broke  adrift.  Could  it  be  that  the  pin  in  the  bolt  outside 
the  nut  had  dropped  out  ?  But  how  account  for  the  acid  ? 
He  sought  diligently  for  the  pin — found  it,  and  to  his 
amazement  the  head  showed  marks  of  a  tool  having 
wrenched  it  out!  He  searched  again  and  found  the  mon- 
key-wrench— smelling  of  acid! 

By  this  time  he  was  in  a  state  of  excitement  hard  to 
control :  within  a  few  minutes  he  had  discovered  that  what 
was  thought  to  be  an  accident  was  none  other  than  a 
diabolical  act !  All  in  a  tremor,  he  hastily  called  Northrup 
and  the  Doctor — related  what  he  suspected,  and  showed 
them  what  he  found.  Who  was  the  miscreant?  The 
same  name  rose  to  the  lips  of  all — Hawse! 

But  Northrup,  with  the  lawyer's  caution,  advised  that 


TREACHERY  411 

until  they  could  find  out  more,  especially  something  to  con- 
nect him  irrefutably  with  the  deed,  they  should  keep  the 
matter  to  themselves;  and  in  no  case  even  hint  of  it  to  Col- 
burn:  and  this  counsel  prevailed.  All  three  decided  to 
watch  the  First  Mate  closely;  and  for  this  purpose  they 
would  take  turns  at  night  until  the  ship  had  her  jury  spars 
up.  Then  Brooks  took  the  wrench,  nut,  bolt,  and  pin 
— hid  them  in  his  room,  and  returned  to  work  on  the  wreck 
with  the  other  two :  they  meant  to  keep  it  up  until  dark — 
then  turn  in,  and  be  called  at  four  o'clock,  as  Hawse  had 
the  morning  watch. 

The  Captain  was  to  continue  on  deck  during  the  first 
and  middle  watches,  directing  the  work.  At  sunset  he 
called  all  hands  aft  and  told  them  he  wanted  every  avail- 
able man  to  work  on  the  wreck,  day  and  night,  until  it 
was  cleared  away  and  the  jury  rig  up;  and  that  they  would 
be  divided  equally  in  two  watches  for  this  purpose,  except 
from  eight  in  the  morning  until  four  in  the  afternoon,  dur- 
ing which  time  all  hands  would  be  on  deck,  with  an  hour 
for  dinner.  Then  he  piped  down  and  set  to  work  with  the 
watch  whose  turn  it  was. 

And  so  throughout  the  night  the  work  went  on — slowly, 
for  the  men  were  sulky.  At  six  bells  of  both  the  first  and 
middle  watches,  the  Captain  had  the  cook  prepare  a  sub- 
stantial meal  of  hot  coffee,  biscuit,  butter,  potatoes  and 
corned  beef,  and  serve  it  out  to  the  men:  this  put  them  in 
good  spirits  during  the  last  hour  of  the  watch — they 
worked  better;  and  when  eight  bells  struck,  it  was  to  go 
below  and  sleep  with  the  contentment  of  a  full  stomach. 

When  Hawse  came  up  for  the  morning  watch,  he  was 
in  better  humor  than  the  Captain  had  ever  seen  him: 
he  received  the  orders  for  continuing  the  work,  in  a  cheery 


412      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

spirit,  and  said  he  would  drive  it  on.  Then  the  Captain 
turned  in.  On  learning  of  the  extra  meal  served  out, 
Hawse  decided  to  go  it  one  better;  so  at  four  bells,  he  got 
his  bottle  and  small  glass,  went  to  the  lee  of  the  main- 
mast, and  called  the  men  one  by  one  to  give  them  a  dose : 
as  each  turned  away  full  of  its  warmth  and  tingling 
geniality,  he  gave  expression  to  the  general  feeling — 
"Ah!  that's  the  stuff— to  hell  with  the  Captain  and  his 
hot  coffee — the  Mate's  the  man  for  us!" 

The  work  went  on  languidly;  for  the  men  quickly  saw 
that  the  Mate  was  in  no  hurry  with  it  and  they  took  their 
cue  accordingly.  This  roused  Brooks  to  remark  with 
indignation : 

"  Mr.  Hawse,  the  men  are  doing  nothing — they're  simply 
soldiering — we'll  never  get  to  port  at  this  rate." 

He  looked  so  angry,  and  Northrup  and  the  Doctor 
backed  him  up  with  such  a  fierce  glare  (all  three  had  been 
up  since  daylight  working  hard),  that  Hawse  thought  best 
to  turn  his  retort  about  it  being  none  of  their  business,  into 
an  excuse — that  the  men  were  worn  out  by  the  night's 
work. 

The  Captain  came  up  at  six  bells  to  take  the  observations 
for  longitude  and  compass  error:  he  was  greatly  dis- 
appointed at  the  little  that  had  been  done  in  the  three  hours 
since  he  left  the  deck,  and  told  the  Mate  so  in  no  soft 
words;  but  the  latter  replied  with  the  usual  excuse — that 
he  was  doing  the  best  he  could. 

"I  am  doing  the  best  I  can"  is  as  exasperating  to  the 
commanding  officer  from  a  subordinate,  as  "I  don't 
remember"  is  to  the  lawyer  from  an  evasive  witness:  both 
answers  are  wholly  insincere  and  hypocritical — a  subter- 
fuge to  cover  up  incompetency,  ill  will,  or  reluctance  to  do 


TREACHERY  413 

duty  in  the  one  case;  and  to  avoid  acknowledging  incrimin- 
ating acts  in  the  other  case. 

The  sea  had  subsided  to  a  long  swell  and  the  wind  was 
rising  to  a  fresh,  steady  breeze — conditions  which  would 
ensure  good  speed  if  the  engine  were  working,  or  even 
under  sail  alone  if  anything  could  be  set  on  the  main;  but 
there  was  such  a  mass  and  tangle  of  material  there,  that 
another  day  must  elapse  before  a  clearing  could  be  effected. 

When  Hawse  was  relieved,  he  went  below  and  turned  in 
on  the  plea  that  he  was  sick. 

The  Captain  took  charge  aft,  and  sent  the  Second  Mate 
to  look  out  forward.  The  work  was  sullenly  done — the 
men  had  to  be  driven:  Hawse's  influence  was  potent  even 
while  he  slept. 

As  the  hours  waxed  on,  it  was  noticed  that  one  man  after 
another  left  his  work  and  went  under  the  topgallant  fore- 
castle: at  first,  each  came  back  after  a  few  minutes;  but 
eventually,  those  who  went,  did  not  return ;  and  soon  noise, 
song,  and  boisterous  laughter  came  from  the  forecastle. 
The  Captain  having  missed  some  men  he  had  on  a  job, 
was  going  forward  when  he  heard  these  sounds — he 
hastened  on.  At  the  break  of  the  forecastle,  a  staggering 
sight  met  his  view :  there,  lolling  and  sprawling  on  the  deck 
in  various  stages  of  drunkenness,  were  a  score  of  men,  with 
half  a  dozen  bottles — all  partly  empty — circulating  among 
them — each  grabbing  a  bottle  from  the  other  and  trying 
to  get  a  swig,  while  it  was  held  back  for  the  same  purpose. 
They  were  uproarious,  maudlin,  and  ribald.  On  seeing 
the  Captain,  they  shouted, 

"The  Mate's  a  brick— he's  got  the  stuff— to  hell  with 
your  coffee!" 

With  a  bound  Colburn  jumped  among  them — seized 


414      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

one  bottle  after  another  and  hurled  it  over  the  side.  Then 
finding  Ivan  Kaulbars  and  a  few  of  his  ilk  more  obstreper- 
ous than  the  rest,  he  put  them  in  double  irons :  the  others 
were  wholly  unfit  for  work,  and  there  was  nothing  to  do 
but  let  them  sleep  off  their  drunken  stupor. 

And  this — twenty  men  turned  into  sodden  beasts  at  a 
critical  moment;  their  services  lost;  their  inane  jollity 
grating  on  the  ear  amidst  the  wreck  about  them ;  the  wind 
rising;  the  ship  without  adequate  sail;  the  engine  disabled; 
a  tangle  of  broken  spars,  twisted  rigging,  and  torn  canvas 
littering  the  decks;  disorder  and  confusion  everywhere; 
and  demoralization  and  sulkiness  among  the  crew! — yes, 
this  was  enough  to  exasperate  the  mildest  temper,  and 
make  the  stoutest  heart  faint. 

There  was  not  an  officer  or  man  in  the  ship's  company 
whom  Colburn  could  rely  upon :  he  was  absolutely  alone — 
without  support,  sympathy,  or  friendly  feeling.  And 
why  ?  Because  he  had  merely  done  his  duty — had  become 
in  reality  the  captain  of  the  ship,  and  not  a  figure-head  for 
an  ambitious  subordinate  to  govern  through.  He  went  aft 
and  sent  for  Hawse. 

"Did  you  give  the  men  whiskey?"  was  his  direct  ques- 
tion. 

"No  sir,  I  did  not." 

"Then  where  did  they  get  it?  Twenty  of  them  are 
drunk  forward — I  took  half  a  dozen  bottles  from  them — 
and  they  say  you  have  it." 

"  O,  I  have  a  few  bottles  for  my  own  use  that  I  bought 
at  Sandy  Point;  but  they're  safely  locked  up  in  my  store- 
room." 

"  Go  and  see  if  they  are  there  now." 

Hawse  went,  and  returned  with  well  simulated  anger. 


TREACHERY  415 

"  No  sir,  they  are  not :  some  one  has  broken  in  and  taken 
every  drop  I  had,  together  with  many  other  things."  For 
once  he  spoke  the  truth ;  but  it  was  with  joy  that  he  heard 
his  loss  had  been  the  means  of  such  havoc :  why,  if  he  had 
the  ordering  of  things  himself,  he  couldn't  have  done  it 
better!  So  he  thought,  but  to  the  Captain  he  put  on  a 
grieved  look:  Colburn  fixed  him  with  an  angry  stare  and 
said: 

"Mr.  Hawse,  I  regret  I  didn't  do  one  of  two  things 
during  this  passage — either  set  you  ashore  at  Callao,  or 
put  you  on  the  forecastle  when  we  were  off  the  coast  of 
Patagonia:  both  were  in  my  mind.  You  needn't  look  sur- 
prised— I  had  good  cause  for  either  course,  as  you  well 
know.  Your  conduct  on  the  way  down  from  San  Fran- 
cisco was  that  of  a  vicious  instigator  of  discontent,  and  your 
usefulness  as  an  officer  was  gone  when  the  Boatswain 
choked  you:  O  yes,  I've  known  of  that  for  some  time. 
As  a  seaman,  you  are  one  of  the  best  I  have  ever  known; 
but  as  for  straightforward  action  between  man  and  man, 
it  isn't  in  you. 

"You  knew  the  temptation  drink  is  to  sailors,  and  yet 
you  put  it  within  their  reach:  now  see  the  consequences! 
That  is  all  I  have  to  say  at  present." 

Hawse  was  not  sure  that  Colburn  did  not  know  more 
than  he  expressed,  so  with  the  evil-doer's  fear,  he  turned 
away  without  a  word. 

For  some  days  the  ship  crawled  along  under  such  sail 
as  was  added  from  time  to  time  according  as  jury  spars 
were  rigged,  until  finally  she  was  under  topsails,  courses, 
to 'gallant  sails,  and  fore-and-aft  sails,  making  fairly  good 
speed.  But  what  a  pitiful  sight !  No  longer  the  neat  and 
trim  Wenonah,  but  a  bedraggled  tramp  of  the  sea. 


416  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Northrup  and  Brooks  went  among  the  men  and  asked 
about  the  disaster — what  did  they  think  caused  it  ?  The 
answers  were  singularly  accordant.  Then  they  asked 
Hawse — how  did  he  explain  it?  "Easily  enough:  the 
ship  wasn't  brought  to  the  wind  properly — the  courses 
were  hauled  up  and  topgallant  sails  left  on  the  ship — the 
pressure  was  all  aloft  without  anything  to  balance  it  on  the 
lower  masts,  and  so  the  spars  yielded  to  the  unequal 
strain."  And  this,  in  substance,  was  what  the  crew  said, 
too :  they  had  been  well  coached. 

Brooks  could  not  help  turning  upon  Hawse  and  saying: 
"I  certainly  didn't  think  you  would  concoct  such  a  silly 
fable  as  that,  and  less  that  you  could  make  the  crew  swal- 
low it:  truly,  they  are  a  gullible  lot!" 

They  sought  Sam  Ruggles  to  see  if  he  knew  anything. 
Northrup  said:  "Mr.  Ruggles,  as  we  are  nearing  port,  I 
want  to  overhaul  my  trunks — I  presume  I  shall  find  the 
locks  stuck  and  hinges  rusty  from  the  wet  weather  we've 
been  in — can  you  lend  me  a  few  tools  and  something  to 
clean  off  the  rust  ?  I  am  a  little  of  a  machinist  and  carpen- 
ter, and  should  like  a  hammer,  tacks,  nails,  and  a  wrench." 

"  I  can  give  you  the  hammer  and  nails  all  right,  but  the 
acid  for  eating  away  rust  and  a  monkey  wrench  I  cannot; 
I  lent  them  to  the  First  Mate  the  day  before  we  carried 
away  our  masts,  to  work  on  the  anchor  gear;  and  he  has 
not  returned  them  yet." 

Northrup  fired  only  a  random  shot,  but  it  hit  the  bull's 
eye!  and  for  fear  they  should  betray  the  importance  of 
their  discovery,  he  and  Brooks  talked  with  all  the  indiffer- 
ence possible  until  they  could  be  by  themselves. 

"There!"  said  Brooks  with  impatient  conviction;  "  what 
further  proof  do  you  want  ?" 


TREACHERY  417 

"Proof!  my  dear  fellow,"  answered  Northrup — "we 
have  none :  circumstantial  evidence  ?  yes,  a  good  deal,  and 
very  valuable;  but  remember  we  have  nothing  to  show  that 
Hawse  did  the  deed — he  might  have  had  a  human  tool, 
and  it  is  the  person  who  actually  turned  the  monkey 
wrench  that  we  want  to  get  hold  of  :  he  may  accuse  Hawse 
of  instigating  it,  and  then  he  would  be  an  accomplice;  but 
we  want  something  more  direct  than  we  have  at  present  to 
connect  him  with  it:  let  us  search  further — enquire  about 
Hawse's  doings  previously  to  the  disaster." 

They  found  that  Carlo  Castagnuolo  had  the  last  two 
hours  at  the  wheel  during  Hawse's  middle  watch  on  that 
fateful  night.  Carlo  added  another  link  to  the  chain — 
telling  how  Hawse  was  twice  absent  from  the  poop  for 
about  fifteen  minutes  each  time;  that  he  told  the  quarter- 
master he  was  going  on  the  forecastle  to  see  how  the 
weather  looked  ahead,  but  he  saw  nothing  unusual  about 
him  when  he  returned. 

"  What  more  do  we  want  to  hang  that  scoundrel  ?"  said 
Brooks.  But  Northrup  answered,  "Let  us  ask  the  Cap- 
tain how  he  explains  the  accident." 

The  ship  was  within  a  day's  run  of  New  York  before 
Northrup  found  it  in  his  heart  to  speak  to  Colburn  on  the 
subject,  and  even  then  Brooks  tried  to  dissuade  him  from 
it. 

"  You  see  how  hard  Colburn  takes  it :  he  sleeps  little  and 
eats  little — is  generally  on  deck — restless,  and  seemingly 
apprehensive  of  another  calamity.  He  is  rapidly  getting 
sick.  His  ambition  was  to  make  this  command  a  success, 
and  see  what  he  is  taking  into  port — a  crippled  ship  and  a 
mutinous  crew!  It  will  go  hard  with  him — he  knows  it — 
and  I  don't  wonder  he  is  worried.  He  hasn't  the  duplicity 

27 


418      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

to  cloak  his  feelings — they  are  all  in  his  face  and  manner  for 
those  curs,  Hawse  and  Ruggles,  to  gloat  over :  it  is  ever  the 
same — when  one  in  power  comes  to  grief,  the  meanest 
of  his  subordinates  are  the  first  to  show  disrespect.  I 
should  like  to  tell  the  Captain  how  deeply  his  hard  luck 
appeals  to  my  feelings :  that  the  situation  is  serious,  we  all 
know;  and  that  he  takes  it  seriously — as  he  should,  we  also 
know.  This  making  light  of  a  dire  situation — putting  a 
bold  front  on  it,  as  some  people  advise — is  both  silly  and 
insincere :  let  them  be  but  crushed  themselves,  and  see  how 
soon  they'll  droop  and  wear  a  downcast  mien;  it  is  not 
natural  to  do  otherwise,  and  the  man  who  attempts  it,  is 
a  hypocrite. 

"The  Captain  has  avoided  all  mention  of  the  disaster, 
and  I  infer  that  he  doesn't  want  to  discuss  it:  besides,  I 
don't  think  he  could  add  anything  to  what  we  know." 

But  the  delver  for  facts — the  searcher  for  the  pith  and 
marrow  of  a  case,  is  no  respecter  of  feelings  when  the  scent 
leads  to  a  possible  clue;  and  so  it  was  that  the  next  morning 
when  Colburn  was  leaning  up  against  the  mizzen  rigging 
and  looking  fixedly  at  the  main  top  Northrup  approached 
him  and  said :  "  Well,  Captain,  how  did  it  happen  ?" 

"I  wish  I  could  tell,"  answered  Colburn:  "I've  been 
asking  myself  that  question  for  days  past,  but  am  yet  no 
nearer  an  explanation  than  at  first.  That  the  topmast 
rigging  lost  its  support  from  the  spider-band  getting  loose, 
is  plain  enough;  but  how  did  it  get  loose — that  is  the  ques- 
tion: 1  can  only  imagine  that  the  bolt  in  the  jaws  broke, 
which  would  of  course  release  the  band — thefuttock  shrouds 
would  then  pull  it  off  at  the  first  roll,  and  the  crash  would 
follow.  I  went  aloft  as  soon  as  we  got  some  sail  on  the 
ship,  and  examined  everything  carefully;  then  I  came  on 


Jacob  Hawse,  First  Mate  of  the  Wenonah 


TREACHERY  419 

deck  and  searched  for  the  bolt  and  nut,  but  found  nothing 
— they  must  have  been  jerked  overboard."  As  the  Cap- 
tain did  not  encourage  further  conversation,  Northrup 
dropped  the  subject — he  saw  he  knew  nothing  positive, 
and  that  if  he  had  any  plausible  supposition,  he  would  not 
communicate  it. 

Then  Northrup,  Brooks,  and  the  Doctor  held  a  council 
as  to  whether  they  should  tell  Colburn  all  they  knew. 
Brooks  was  eager  to  do  so  at  once:  he  wanted  to  see  the 
culprit  in  irons — caged  beyond  the  power  to  do  further 
harm;  besides,  it  might  have  an  intimidating  effect  on  his 
ally,  Ruggles,  who  would  then  find  his  engine  in  condition 
to  drive  them  into  port :  Brooks  had  no  doubt  of  its  defects 
being  a  put  up  job — he  knew  enough  of  the  wile  of  the  sea 
to  believe  Ruggles  entirely  capable  of  doing  a  treacherous 
deed  when  it  served  his  purpose. 

The  Doctor  refrained  from  expressing  an  opinion  until 
he  should  hear  what  Northrup 's  was.  The  latter  said: 
"  This  is  not  a  case  the  Captain  can  punish — it  is  far  too 
grave  for  that:  it  must  be  taken  into  the  United  States 
Criminal  Court.  You  empanel  a  jury — who  are  they? 
As  a  rule,  men  with  a  bias  for  the  seaman  as  against  the 
officer,  and  for  the  mate  as  against  his  captain.  The 
brutal  autocrat  of  the  quarter  deck  is  their  idea  of  the 
latter — they  have  an  inherent  antipathy  for  him.  That 
jury  is  to  pass  upon  the  facts:  what  are  these  ?  You  and  I 
and  other  witnesses  recount  them:  the  wrench,  bolt,  nut, 
and  pin  are  exhibited,  and  the  circumstances  related 
pointing  to  their  use.  Will  the  story  be  credited  ?  Hardly ; 
for  it  must  seem  incredible  to  any  body  of  men  that  such  a 
fiendish  crime  could  be  committed.  You  must  show  some 
great  motive  impelling  to  it,  and  what  one  can  you  assign  ? 


420      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Animosity  toward  the  Captain  ?  It  is  wholly  inadequate — 
no  jury  would  believe  that  the  second  officer  in  the  ship 
would  wreck  her  and  endanger  his  own  life  as  well  as  the 
lives  of  all  on  board  merely  through  enmity  for  the  man  in 
command.  Then  the  crew  is  called  up — one  after  another 
testifies  in  favor  of  the  Mate,  and  not  one  for  the  Captain ! 
What  does  this  mean  ?  To  the  minds  of  the  jurors,  that 
he  is  the  typical  tyrant  of  the  sea;  who  drives,  abuses, 
grinds  his  men — a  hardened  old  sea  dog  who  lashes  with 
the  cat.  Let  the  counsel  for  the  prisoner  get  a  hold  of  this 
end  of  the  tale,  and  there  is  not  a  fiend  in  hell  equal  to 
Captain  Colburn,  albeit  that  it  is  all  based  on  innuendo 
skilfully  evoked  by  question  of  the  witnesses  for  Hawse, 
without  a  specific  harsh  act  on  the  part  of  the  Captain  to 
point  to.  Then,  gentlemen  of  the  jury,  where  was  the 
motive  and  who  was  the  culprit  ?  The  Captain,  through 
bad  seamanship  (as  testified  to  by  every  one  of  the 
crew),  brought  on  the  disaster,  and,  to  clear  himself, 
invents  this  monstrous  plot!  Was  anything  more  devil- 
ish? But  is  it  not  in  keeping  with  the  character 
given  him,  without  a  dissenting  voice,  by  his  officers 
and  men  ?  The  jury  scarcely  leaves  the  box — the  fore- 
man announces  a  verdict  of  acquittal  for  the  Mate, 
and  Colburn  (at  the  instance  of  Counsel  for  Hawse) 
is  immediately  arraigned  for  defamation  of  character 
and  criminal  libel." 

"Yes,  you  are  right,"  said  the  Doctor:  "I  think  the 
case  would  turn  that  way,  and  Colburn  would  only  be 
the  victim  of  plausible  coloring  of  the  circumstances." 

"And  now  I  agree  with  you  both,"  said  Brooks:  "I 
didn't  think  it  possible  that  such  a  clear  case  could  be 
turned  awry." 


TREACHERY 


The  ship  kept  on  without  further  mishap.  Toward 
noon  of  a  fine  Saturday  she  rounded  Sandy  Hook,  and  with 
a  fair  wind  and  under  all  sail,  stood  up  the  channel  and 
through  the  Narrows:  there  we  shall  leave  her,  to  relate 
what  followed  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

JUDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD 

Some  rise  by  sin,  and  some  by  virtue  fall. 

— Shakspere. 

TOWARD  sunset,  the  Wenonah  approached  an  anchorage 
off  the  statue  of  Liberty — not  with  the  proud  crest  of  lofty 
spars,  taut  rigging,  and  trim  sails,  her  Captain  stepping 
the  bridge  with  the  conscious  pride  of  commanding  a  noble 
fabric  of  the  sea;  but  a  cripple,  under  stump  topmasts, 
fished  yards,  patched  sails,  and  many  other  expedients  to 
enable  her  hobble  into  port,  while  her  commander  was  as 
broken  in  spirit  as  the  ship  was  wracked  in  equipment. 
It  was  her  home  coming — sad  and  crouching,  compared 
with  the  erect  and  bouyant  mien  entering  foreign  ports! 
But  the  reception  one  gets  from  his  own  is  often  the  least 
cordial.  It  was  sorely  disappointing  to  Colburn  to  come 
thus  discredited  before  his  employers.  How  could  he 
explain  it  ?  He  could  not — there  was  no  plausible  theory 
he  could  frame. 

After  letting  go  the  anchor,  he  gave  some  orders  to  the 
First  Mate  about  affairs  on  board,  and  then  went  below. 
It  was  Saturday  evening — there  was  no  possibility  of 
reporting  his  arrival  before  Monday  morning,  so  he  de- 
cided to  take  some  rest — he  was  both  sick  and  weary. 
While  the  need  for  strain  lasted,  he  kept  on  the  rack;  but 
when  the  tension  was  released,  his  nerve  and  will  relaxed 


JUDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD  423 

too — they  were  but  parts  of  the  same  organization  that 
had  been  harried  and  drained  of  vitality  for  weeks. 

He  sought  the  passengers  and  told  them  he  had  directed 
the  Mate  to  afford  them  transportation  ashore;  but  that  if 
they  wished  to  remain  until  Monday,  they  were  entirely 
welcome  to  do  so.  They  decided  to  go,  and  after  bidding 
him  a  regretful  farewell,  they  left  the  ship:  Brooks  prom- 
ised to  return  the  following  day  and  spend  the  afternoon 
with  him — there  was  a  strong  warm  feeling  between  these 
two  men. 

And  now  Hawse  was  master,  for  the  Captain  turned 
injeaving  word  not  to  be  called  unless  something  important 
occurred;  the  injunction  was  unnecessary,  for  the  Mate 
was  only  too  anxious  to  attend  to  everything  himself. 

The  Captain  slept  not:  all  night  he  turned  from  side  to 
side,  his  head  a  whirl  of  thought:  how  did  it  happen? — 
what  would  the  owners  do  ?  He  was  unknown  to  them — 
would  they  be  considerate,  and  regard  the  accident  as  one 
of  those  unavoidable  events  of  the  sea;  or  would  they 
ruthlessly  dismiss  him  ?  And  then  what  should  he  do  ? 
Discredited  by  disaster,  where  could  he  look  for  another 
place  ?  At  best,  with  the  prestige  of  a  long  career  of  suc- 
cess, it  was  hard  to  get  a  ship — they  were  so  few;  but  with 
his  first  command  brought  in  a  wreck,  the  prospect  was 
dark  and  disheartening.  The  city  was  practically  new 
to  him;  he  was  without  friends  and  with  little  means; 
besides,  he  was  on  the  downward  slope  of  life — what  should 
he  do  if  set  adrift  ?  And  moreover,  he  was  not  alone — he 
had  a  wife  dependent  on  him  in  California,  who  would  be 
tortured  by  vivid  imaginings,  worse  by  far  than  the  reality: 
the  apprehension  of  the  unknown  is  ever  worse  than  the 
suffering  of  the  actual.  And  so  he  turned  thought  after 


424      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

thought  over  in  his  mind  until  it  was  hot  with  working, 
and  his  eyes  burnt  from  fixity  of  looking — trying  to  peer 
into  the  future.  His  bodily  and  mental  ailments  reacted 
on  each  other,  and  intensified  the  condition  of  both.  Sun- 
day morning  came,  and  he  dozed  off  for  an  hour,  only  to 
wake  with  a  start — eyes  wide  open  and  brain  alert,  to  begin 
the  tread-mill  of  the  night. 

During  the  forenoon  some  reporters  with  note-book  and 
camera  visited  the  ship.  Hawse  received  them  affably  and 
talked  volubly:  he  told  them  the  crew  were  at  liberty  to 
speak  freely  on  the  events  of  the  voyage — the  Press  was  the 
greatest  institution  in  the  country,  and  the  Public  were 
entitled  to  know  what  was  going  on.  It  is  needless  to  say 
that  his  secret  code  of  communication  with  certain  mem- 
bers of  the  crew  came  into  use  at  once,  and  they  were 
instructed  as  to  the  trend  their  stories  should  take;  and 
Hawse  was  careful  to  see  that  only  these  men  were  inter- 
viewed by  the  scribes.  When  they  left  the  ship,  they  were 
greatly  elated  over  the  material  gathered  for  a  highly  sea- 
soned tale  of  the  sea. 

And  so  when  Monday  morning  came,  the  daily  papers 
gave  prominent  place  to  picture  and  story  of  the  dilapidated 
Wenonah :  "  She  had  a  remarkable  voyage — slow,  but  not 
for  want  of  wind ;  the  Captain  was  cautious  about  carrying 
sail — it  was  his  first  command,  and,  naturally,  he  had  the 
timidity  of  a  novice.  Otherwise,  his  newness  in  the  duties 
of  his  position  was  evident  in  the  way  he  ignored  the  com- 
forts, customs,  and  privileges  of  the  sailor — all  that  body 
of  little  matters  beyond  legal  requirement  or  the  stipula- 
tion of  the  shipping  articles;  but  which  on  that  very  account 
are  more  dear  to  Jack,  because  woven  into  his  nature  by 
long  custom.  Fortunately,  however,  an  intercessor  stood 


JUDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD  425 

between  him  and  the  crew — the  Mate,  who  knew  the  needs 
of  the  men,  and  had  the  harshest  measures  mitigated,  and 
even  obtained  some  favors :  it  is  believed  that  open  mutiny 
was  thus  averted  in  many  cases.  At  any  rate,  whether  due 
to  ignorance  or  perversity  of  spirit,  the  efficiency  of  the  ship 
suffered;  and  she  came  into  port  full  of  sour  discontent. 
Then  she  took  an  extraordinary  route — through  the  long 
winding  channels  of  Patagonia  in  order  to  enable  some 
passengers  to  enjoy  the  marvelous  scenery  of  that  region: 
truly,  this  was  a  complaisant  company  of  ship-owners  that 
could  thus  afford  to  burn  coal  and  have  their  vessel  lounge 
leisurely  along  for  the  gratification  of  those  on  board.  One 
serious  event  occurred — a  man  was  stabbed;  yet  through 
misguided  leniency,  the  Captain  did  not  punish  the  assail- 
ant nor  hold  him  for  criminal  assault  upon  an  unarmed 
man  who  gave  no  provocation  other  than  uttering  a  little 
joke;  but  it  was  the  usual  case  of  the  hot  tempered  Italian, 
ever  ready  with  his  stiletto  for  the  heart  of  an  American 
citizen:  surely,  the  injured  man  could  find  redress  in  the 
United  States  Court. 

"The  worst  thing  of  all,  however,  was  a  disaster  that 
happened  near  Bermuda — apparently  due  to  an  awkward 
attempt  to  bring  the  ship  by  the  wind :  she  came  into  port 
like  a  lame  duck — one  leg  broken,  a  shattered  wing,  dirty 
plumage,  and  her  gait  a  limp  (this  simile  highly  pleased 
the  youthful  scribe).  Was  the  Captain  incompetent? 
At  any  rate,  this  was  the  last  voyage  any  sailor  in  the  ship 
would  make  with  him.  And  the  officers?  All  bricks, 
especially  the  First  Mate — a  fine  sailor — they'd  go  any- 
where with  him — he  knew  how  to  handle  the  ship;  they 
would  never  reach  port  if  it  hadn't  been  for  him."  And 
so  on  through  more  than  a  column,  capped  with  scare 


THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 


headlines;  and  all  so  deftly  colored — a  delicate  shade  here, 
a  heavy  brush  there,  a  small  incident  dropped  out  in  one 
place  or  inserted  in  another  to  give  the  event  the  desired 
turn — that  even  the  most  salty  sailor  might  be  puzzled  to 
say  how  much  was  true  and  how  much  false. 

On  Monday  the  Captain  could  not  leave  his  berth:  he 
had  scarcely  slept  for  two  nights,  or  eaten  for  two  days — 
he  was  bordering  on  brain  fever.  As  he  had  to  report  the 
ship's  arrival,  he  sent  for  Hawse  and  told  him  to  go  to  the 
owners  and  relate  the  circumstances  of  the  passage,  and 
tell  them  that  he  would  go  himself  as  soon  as  he  could  get 
up.  Hawse  showed  much  concern  for  his  condition,  and 
expressed  such  deep  sympathy,  and  evinced  such  a  desire 
to  do  little  kindnesses  that  it  softened  Colburn's  heart; 
and  he  had  a  revulsion  of  feeling:  "Perhaps,  after  all," 
he  thought,  "I  have  done  him  injustice — he  may  have 
streaks  of  loyalty  and  sincerity";  and  so  a  remorseful  wave 
mingled  with  kindly  sentiments  swept  through  him.  But 
Hawse  had  scarcely  left  the  ship,  when  one  of  his  minions 
(previously  instructed  what  to  do)  sent  to  the  cabin  three  of 
the  morning  papers  with  a  big  red  pencil  mark  on  each 
pointing  to  the  article  on  the  Wenonah. 

"O  the  scoundrel — the  traitor — how  could  he  be  so 
double-faced!"  broke  out  the  Captain,  as  he  read  lie  after 
lie.  They  threw  him  into  a  rage — all  the  more  violent 
because  of  the  good  feeling  it  had  just  replaced :  the  deceit 
was  exasperating;  and  to  think  he  was  on  the  point  of 
trusting  this  Judas  again! 

It  was  in  this  state — almost  insane  from  a  sense  of  wrong 
and  misrepresentation,  crazed  by  loss  of  sleep,  and  weak 
from  want  of  food,  that  Northrup,  Brooks,  and  the  Doctor 
found  him  when  they  came  aboard  to  make  a  friendly 


JUDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD  427 

visit.  They  told  him  they  had  just  left  the  three  news- 
paper offices  and  had  given  to  each  a  true  version  of  the 
incidents;  but  they  omitted  to  say  (which  would  only 
exasperate  him  the  more)  that  there  was  no  hope  of  having 
the  correct  account  published. 

The  deed  was  done:  "The  editors  had  confidence  in 
their  reporters — these  had  been  on  board — had  ques- 
tioned everybody :  they  themselves  took  all  the  care  a  court 
could,  in  sifting  the  evidence;  and  they  saw  no  reason  to 
revise  their  opinion."  They  might  have  added  (if  they 
chose  to  be  frank)  that  it  would  discredit  them  to  acknowl- 
edge that  they  had  given  a  biased  account:  better  let  the 
wrong  remain,  than  confess  it  had  been  committed;  this, 
and  not  any  extravagant  confidence  in  their  reporters,  was 
the  actuating  motive  (among  others)  for  their  refusal  to 
redress  an  injury. 

Even  if  the  true  state  of  the  case  were  published,  would 
it  undo  the  evil  ?  Not  at  all.  The  venom  had  spread — 
a  million  minds  had  absorbed  it,  and  man  is  prone  to 
believe  evil  rather  than  good  of  his  fellow  man,  especially 
when  the  evil  comes  to  those  who  govern  as  against  th* 
governed;  and  so  Colburn  was  condemned  by  every  one 
who  read  the  article. 

Hawse  was  astute:  he  had  the  case  presented  by  an 
advocate,  and  passed  upon  by  a  jury — Press  and  Public — 
which  often  render  a  verdict  on  ex  parte  evidence;  only  the 
plaintiff's  testimony  is  generally  heard.  And  if  the  de- 
fendant interpose  his  plea — will  it  avail  ?  Scarcely  ever. 
The  statute  of  limitations  bars  him — the  public  has  heard 
the  story  already — the  sensation  has  passed — they're  tired 
of  ancient  history.  But  the  justice  of  the  case?  Bah! 
they  have  no  time  for  details.  Not  one  in  ten  thousand 


428       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

who  read  the  accusation  will  either  see  or  care  to  look 
at  the  defense:  to  their  view,  it  is  but  the  wail 
of  a  culprit,  not  the  indignant  denial  of  the  innocent. 
And  so  the  harm  is  done — the  wicked  triumph — and  the 
evil  is  perpetuated. 

Before  Northrup,  Brooks,  and  the  Doctor  went  on  board, 
they  considered  the  advisability  of  seeing  the  owners  of 
the  ship  and  counteracting  the  evil  influence  the  news- 
paper articles  might  have  on  them.  But  Northrup  said : 
"  Nobody  knows  better  than  a  New  Yorker  what  a  con- 
glomerate of  exaggeration,  misrepresentation,  and  craftily 
turned  phrases  such  articles  are.  They  are  written  for 
a  class  that,  like  the  gross  feeder,  must  be  tempted  by  high 
seasoning:  this  has  now  reached  a  stage  where  only  the 
red  pepper  and  tabasco  sauce  of  composition  will  stir  to 
interest.  It  is  like  the  appropriations  asked  of  legislative 
bodies — so  far  beyond  what  is  required,  or  expected  to 
be  given,  that  the  applicants  hope,  that  when  pared 
down,  they  will  get  what  they  really  need :  the  percentage 
to  be  cut  off,  is  added  in  advance — a  hypocritical  pro- 
cedure. So  with  the  sensational  scribes:  they  write  to 
attract  by  the  enormity  of  their  statements,  trusting  that 
some  of  their  lies  will  inoculate — and  they  do,  and  poison 
too.  But  any  sensible  man  who  uses  his  intelligence 
can  readily  distinguish  the  shading  and  coloring  put  on 
to  give  the  whole  a  certain  aspect.  I  presume  those 
ship-owners  are  hard  headed  men  of  business  and  can 
readily  see  through  the  deceitful  turn  given  every  inci- 
dent in  these  articles;  it  would  be  making  too  much  of 
such  writing  to  go  to  the  firm  and  expose  its  falsity — 
they  might  think :  *  Well,  perhaps  there  is  more  in  it 
than  we  thought.'  No:  my  opinion  is,  that  while  these 


JUDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD  429 

articles  may  create  a  slightly  unfavorable  impression  on 
these  men,  still  I  cannot  conceive  them  having  such 
effect  as  to  work  serious  injury  to  the  Captain;  and  there- 
fore that  we  had  better  not  speak  of  them." 

But  Northrup  did  not  know  Alec  Campbell  and  Com- 
pany— they  were  far  more  sensitive  to  criticism,  and  much 
less  sensible  than  he  thought:  when  Jacob  Hawse  reached 
their  counting-house,  he  found  the  Captain  already  sen- 
tenced— the  Press  had  done  its  vicious  work — Colburn  was 
moribund,  and  Hawse  had  only  to  order  the  shroud  and 
prepare  the  obsequies.  He  found  the  owners  furious 
over  the  undesirable  notoriety  given  their  firm  and  ship — 
entirely  prepared  to  believe  anything  of  the  man  who 
brought  it  upon  them.  It  was  therefore  with  ease  that  his 
delicate  insinuations  at  Colburn 's  incompetency  had  their 
full  effect:  indeed  it  was  with  commiseration — rather 
excusing  him — that  Hawse  spoke  of  his  unfitness  for  the 
sea ;  but  there  was  the  ship — ocular  proof  of  bad  seaman- 
ship and  insubordination.  All  this — intimated  by  skil- 
ful innuendo,  settled  Colburn 's  fate.  But  they  mustn't 
think  he,  Hawse,  wanted  to  injure  the  Captain;  he  felt 
sorry  for  him ;  let  them  investigate  for  themselves — send  a 
man  on  board  under  guise  of  wanting  to  ship:  let  him  go 
freely  among  the  men  and  ask  their  opinion  about  the  state 
of  affairs.  One  member  of  the  firm  caught  at  this  straw 
to  quiet  his  scruples  before  adjudging  summary  dismissal. 
And  so  it  was  decided  that  one  of  the  clerks  in  the  office 
should  perform  this  duty.  The  result  may  as  well  be 
anticipated  and  stated  here:  over  night,  Hawse  had  thor- 
oughly primed  those  of  the  crew  who  were  in  his  toils  with 
what  they  should  say;  these  men,  and  only  these,  were  con- 
spicuous when  the  fictitious  aspirant  for  sea  service  came 


430  THE  VOYAGE  or  THE  WENONAH 

on  board;  the  men  that  Hawse  was  not  so  sure  of  were 
kept  well  out  of  the  way  on  work  aloft,  so  that  the  gullible 
clerk  was  filled  to  the  gorge  with  all  that  lying  tongues 
could  utter  against  the  Captain.  He  returned  and  made 
his  report:  that  settled  the  qualms  of  the  self-styled  con- 
scientious member — Colburn  should  go  as  soon  as  he  was 
able  to  leave  his  berth. 

To  return  to  the  Captain  when  his  whilom  passengers 
visited  him :  the  Doctor  saw  that  unless  he  could  get  some 
sleep,  his  condition  might  become  serious — he  was  in  a 
frenzy  of  indignation;  the  newspaper  articles  so  grossly 
distorted  his  every  act  and  turned  them  so  skillfully  to  his 
disadvantage,  that  he  could  but  exclaim,  "  O  the  injustice 
of  the  thing!  to  think  that  man  could  lie  so!  or  that  God 
should  let  him  live  after  doing  it!"  Colburn  was  verging 
on  insanity.  The  Doctor  gave  him  a  mild  sleeping  potion, 
and  after  seeing  that  it  began  to  have  effect  (his  exhausted 
condition  aiding  in  bringing  on  quiet),  he  and  the  others 
took  their  departure,  leaving  instructions  with  the  steward 
how  to  care  for  him. 

Hawse  returned  to  the  ship  in  high  spirits,  and  was  more 
gracious  to  the  men  than  ever  before;  his  geniality  was  so 
exuberant  that  he  bestowed  smiles  on  even  those  that  never 
had  such  from  him. 

And  so  a  few  days  passed:  Doctor  Austin  came  every 
day  to  watch  the  patient,  and  on  the  fourth,  he  told  North- 
rup  and  Brooks  that  the  Captain  would  soon  be  able  to 
come  on  deck.  As  each  had  matters  to  engage  his  atten- 
tion for  some  time,  they  decided  to  go  together  on  the  fol- 
lowing day  and  bid  Colburn  farewell.  The  question  came 
up  again — should  they  tell  the  Captain  of  the  facts  pointing 
to  Hawse  as  the  author  of  the  disaster  ?  They  went  care- 


JTJDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD  431 

fully  over  the  whole  ground,  and  saw  no  reason  to  change 
their  first  decision;  but  if  anything  should  come  to  Colburn 
through  the  machinations  of  Hawse,  they  would  consult 
further  as  to  their  course.  Meanwhile,  they  would  attend 
to  their  own  affairs — the  ship  would  unload  and  take  on 
new  cargo — the  Mate  would  find  another  ship  (for  they 
knew  from  Colburn  that  both  would  never  again  sail 
together) — and  at  the  end  of  a  week  they  would  go  and 
bid  the  Captain  a  final  farewell. 

During  three  days  Hawse  had  not  seen  the  Captain  once, 
although  he  made  the  most  earnest  enquiries  several  times 
of  both  Doctor  Austin  and  the  steward  as  to  the  progress 
of  his  ailment,  and  his  probable  recovery.  They  could 
not  understand  this  solicitude  on  the  part  of  one  so  hostile 
at  all  other  times.  It  soon  came  out:  on  the  fifth  day, 
Colburn — haggard,  pale  and  weak — came  on  deck,  and 
told  Hawse,  who  was  there,  to  have  a  boat  ready  for  him, 
that  he  was  going  to  see  the  owners. 

"O  that  is  not  at  all  necessary,"  said  the  Mate  with  a 
supercilious  sneer,  as  he  drew  an  envelope  from  a  side 
pocket  and  handed  it  to  the  Captain. 

Colburn  opened  it  and  found  a  curt  note  from  the  firm 
of  Alec  Campbell  and  Company  discharging  him  without 
a  word  of  regret,  farewell,  or  explanation;  and  enclosing 
a  check  for  his  pay  up  to  the  day  of  arrival.  It  stunned 
him — he  looked  at  Hawse,  who  said  with  scorn : 

''And  now,  Mr.  Colburn,  I'll  have  a  boat  for  you  in  a 
moment,  and  I  want  you  to  get  out  of  this  ship  at  once — 
I'm  Captain  now." 

"  I  shall  go  when  I'm  ready;  but  until  I  do  go,  you  keep 
a  very  civil  tongue  in  your  head;  or,  by  Heavens,  I'll 
strangle  you  on  this  deck  at  the  first  word — you  black- 


432  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

hearted  coward!"  Then  he  went  below  and  packed  his 
trunks. 

Meanwhile,  the  Mate  had  all  hands  called  aft  on  the 
quarter  deck,  and  read  a  letter  from  the  owners  of  the 
ship  appointing  him  to  the  command.  He  read  it  in  a 
firm,  authoritative  tone;  and  when  done,  one  of  the  meek- 
est of  his  toadies  proposed  three  cheers  for  Captain  Hawse : 
they  were  given,  but — like  the  actors'  claque — with  a 
forced  rather  than  a  hearty  utterance.  It  pandered  to 
the  new  Captain's  vanity,  however;  and  with  a  condescend- 
ing wave  of  the  hand  he  motioned  to  them  that  that  would 
do — they  should  go  forward. 

With  an  airy  strut  and  expansive  manner,  he  paced  up 
and  down  the  poop  until  the  boat  was  ready,  with  Col- 
burn's  baggage  in  it.  Then  he  called  the  quartermaster 
and  said,  "  Go  and  tell  Mr.  Colburn  the  boat  is  waiting  for 
him."  Colburn  came  out  of  the  cabin  and  went  toward 
the  gangway:  he  went  alone — unaccompanied;  and  there 
is  nothing  so  indicative  of  utter  isolation  and  loneliness,  as 
this  spectacle  of  the  late  commander  of  a  ship  leaving  it 
without  any  show  of  courtesy  or  good  feeling  on  the  part  of 
those  but  a  moment  before  subject  to  his  orders.  Hawse 
stood  on  the  poop  like  a  bronze  statue,  his  arms  folded, 
gazing  fixedly  at  the  crew  gathered  some  distance  forward 
of  the  gangway,  many  snickering,  others  indifferent.  The 
eyes  of  Hawse  were  upon  them,  and  if  any  felt  like  saying 
good  bye  to  the  late  Captain,  he  was  deterred  by  the  dis- 
pleasure it  would  cause  the  new  one.  Hawse  meant  that 
Colburn  should  leave  with  all  the  indignity  he  could  heap 
upon  him — the  latter  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance  when 
he  came  on  deck — and  with  a  sore  heart,  but  firm  tread,  he 
walked  alone  to  the  side  and  got  into  the  boat,  without  a 


JUDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD  433 

word  to  any  one  or  from  any  one :  a  funeral  could  not  have 
been  more  sad  and  solemn. 

And  this  was  the  crew  for  which  he  had  done  so  much — 
the  men  toward  whom  he  was  always  just  and  often  gen- 
erous, while  trying  to  improve  the  degraded  condition  that 
years  of  the  treatment  such  as  the  Hawses  of  the  sea  had 
fixed  upon  them !  In  the  face  of  it,  who  will  speak  up  f 6r 
the  manliness  or  appreciation  of  the  sailor  ?  Neither  trait 
certainly  characterized  this  crew:  no;  rather,  fawning 
cowardice  streaked  them  all.  They  ended  as  they  had 
begun — ingrates — dupes  of  rum  and  debasing  manipula- 
tion— victims  of  their  own  narrow  prejudices! 

And  now  they  quickly  found  out  the  real  Hawse:  they 
could  scarcely  believe  that  two  such  personalities  could 
animate  the  same  body — the  man  who  had  dealt  out  rum 
when  they  were  wet  and  weary  and  who  had  been  so  genial 
and  smiling  the  past  few  days — could  this  be  the  same 
man  that  now  snarled  and  abused  them,  was  arrogant  and 
irascible;  who  kept  them  hard  at  work  all  day,  nagged 
them,  would  listen  to  none  of  their  plaints,  but  told  each 
he  could  go  elsewhere — that  he  was  a  worthless  shirk 
anyhow,  that  he  could  get  plenty  of  good  men,  Americans 
too,  not  such  foreign  riff-raff  as  they  were — the  scum  of  the 
sea. 

The  truth  was,  Hawse  wanted  to  get  rid  of  his  former 
accomplices,  and  took  this  means  of  making  them  go :  some 
did  go,  but  the  Boatswain  and  a  few  others  (the  very  ones 
Hawse  most  wanted  to  leave)  still  held  out ;  they  had  been  a 
long  time  on  the  Wenonah,  and  it  was  not  easy  to  get 
another  good  berth.  But  Hawse  made  up  his  mind  that 
the  Boatswain  should  go,  and  he  set  about  harassing  him 
with  every  means  his  vicious  ingenuity  could  devise:  the 


434      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Boatswain  was  a  favorite  of  the  owners  of  the  Wenonah, 
however — it  would  be  hard  to  dislodge  him,  and  the 
matter  must  be  conducted  cautiously,  with  refined  cruelty. 

When  Colburn  left  the  ship,  he  went  direct  to  the  owners 
— he  was  not  to  be  dismissed  without  a  hearing.  Arrived 
at  the  counting-house,  he  was  told  none  of  the  firm  was  in. 
It  was  a  lie — all  were  in,  but  they  feared  to  face  him:  a 
wrong  might  have  been  done,  and  they  were  not  men 
enough  to  right  it:  there  are  many  such  in  the  world — 
moral  cowards!  He  went  away,  saying  he  would  return. 
He  did;  another  excuse — they  were  too  busy  with  some 
matters  and  could  not  see  him.  And  so  on  for  four  suc- 
cessive days — lie,  evasion,  subterfuge  of  every  kind,  to 
escape  the  wrath  of  a  man  inflamed  by  injustice. 

It  was  not  so  much  that  he  wanted  to  get  back  to  the 
Wenonah — though  that  would  be  a  gratification  in  any 
event,  and  especially  so  in  view  of  the  circumstances  under 
which  he  left  the  ship — but  he  wanted  to  right  himself 
in  the  minds  of  Alec  Campbell  and  Company:  they  had 
no  right  to  put  such  a  stigma  upon  him,  and  he  intended 
to  use  every  means  in  his  power  to  remove  it.  Five  days 
had  passed  since  his  discharge,  and  yet  he  had  not  seen 
any  of  the  owners :  on  his  last  visit  he  was  impudently  told 
by  one  of  the  clerks  that  he  need  not  come  any  more; 
that  the  members  of  the  firm  didn't  want  to  see  him;  and 
further,  that  if  he  persisted  in  annoying  them,  they  would 
call  in  the  police  and  have  him  arrested.  This  angered 
Colburn  beyond  control,  and  he  vented  his  feelings  on  the 
understrapper  and  his  employers  in  hot  and  fiery  words, 
ending  with,  "  If  ever  I  do  return,  it  won't  be  as  a  suppliant 
for  justice  as  I'm  doing  now;  but  with  the  means  to  exact 
it";  and  then  he  passed,  as  he  thought,  forever  from  sight  of 


JUDAS  GETS  HIS  REWARD  435 

all  connection  with  the  Wenonah.  He  returned  to  his 
lodging  to  think  over  the  situation:  one  fact  was  clear — 
he  must  seek  employment  of  some  kind  at  once;  he  could 
not  afford  to  waste  his  little  ready  money  in  idleness, 
merely  to  find  means  of  righting  the  injustice  done  him: 
that  might  suggest  itself  during  the  course  of  his  search,  but 
the  essential  thing  now  was  to  hunt  up  a  means  of  liveli- 
hood :  perhaps  he  could  find  a  vessel  going  to  California — 
he  would  take  any  billet  on  her  in  order  to  get  out  there. 
Full  of  this  idea,  he  sallied  forth,  and  what  befell  him  will 
be  recounted  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  AND  RENT 

My  business  in  this  state 
Made  me  a  looker-on  here  in  Vienna, 
Where  I  have  seen  corruption  boil  and  bubble 
Till  it  o'er-run  the  stew. 

— Shakspere. 

A  FEW  days  after  Colburn  was  dismissed  from  the 
Wenonah,  he  was  seated  on  a  bench  near  the  Farragut 
statue  in  Madison  Square,  apparently  watching  some  little 
birds  pecking  at  a  crust  of  bread ;  but  in  reality  looking  at 
nothing  in  particular:  his  mind  was  intent  on  some  matter 
of  far  more  importance  than  the  meal  of  a  flock  of  birds. 

The  weather  was  delightful — a  typical  June  day  in 
New  York — genial  and  balmy:  a  heavy  rain  the  night 
before  had  cleared  the  air,  cleansed  the  streets,  and 
freshened  the  foliage,  so  that  everything  was  bright  and 
conducive  to  happy  feelings ;  while  a  flock  of  gleesome  birds 
twittering  in  the  branches  gave  a  merry  touch  to  the  scene. 
But  Colburn  was  oblivious  of  all  this — he  was  absorbed 
in  sad  thoughts:  for  three  days  he  had  sought  employ- 
ment, but  without  success;  and  now  he  was  revolving  in 
his  mind  which  direction  the  next  quest  should  take,  when 
a  cheery  voice,  full  of  friendliness,  startled  him: 

"Good  morning,  Captain!  This  is  indeed  a  pleasure, 
and  a  surprise  also  to  meet  you  here:  I  presume  you  are 

436 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  437 

laying  in  a  supply  of  these  fresh  odors  against  the  salty  air 
you  will  soon  have  to  breathe — when  do  you  sail  ?"  The 
speaker  was  Northrup,  on  his  way  to  luncheon  at  the 
restaurant  on  the  opposite  corner  of  Fifth  Avenue. 

"  I  shall  sail,"  answered  Colburn  rising  and  grasping  the 
extended  hand,  "  when  I  can  get  a  ship :  I  was  discharged 
from  the  Wenonah  four  days  ago — Hawse  is  captain  now." 

"The  scoundrel! — so  his  plot  succeeded,"  muttered 
Northrup  between  his  teeth.  "  I  want  to  hear  about  that, 
Captain:  it  is  my  lunch  hour — you  must  come  and  we'll 
have  it  together." 

They  entered  the  restaurant,  took  seats  at  a  secluded 
table,  and  Northrup  ordered  a  substantial  meal. 

"  What  reason  did  the  owners  give  ?" 

"None — I  didn't  see  them.  They  sent  me  a  letter  by 
Hawse,  telling  me  I  was  discharged  and  to  turn  the  com- 
mand over  to  him.  I  went  at  once  to  their  office,  but  they 
wouldn't  see  me:  I  went  again  and  again,  but  couldn't  get 
to  them.  Ever  since,  I've  been  looking  for  a  ship,  but 
without  success." 

"  It  is  a  dastardly  piece  of  work,"  said  Northrup.  "  Tell 
me — what  was  the  primary  cause  of  the  Mate's  animosity 
toward  you  ?" 

"Well,  an  accident  disabled  me  temporarily  for  sea 
service — I  was  ashore  a  year.  I  got  employment  in  San 
Francisco  as  dock  master  for  the  Wenonah  line — to  attend 
to  the  berthing,  discharging,  and  lading  of  the  ships. 
When  the  Wenonah  was  ready  to  sail,  the  captain  fell 
suddenly  ill.  The  command  was  offered  to  me;  I  didn't 
seek  it,  and  indeed  should  have  been  content  to  remain 
where  I  was  a  few  months  longer;  but  the  billet  was  a  good 
one,  and  I  was  glad  to  get  it. 


438  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"  The  First  Mate  had  expected  it,  and  naturally  thought 
I  cut  hirn  out:  this  started  the  trouble.  I  told  him  the 
truth,  however;  but  either  he  did  not  believe  me,  or  was  so 
full  of  resentment  that  it  made  no  difference. 

"  I  decided  to  act  so  that  he  should  feel  the  disappoint- 
ment as  little  as  possible.  I  told  him  my  views  regarding 
the  management  of  affairs,  and  then  let  him  carry  them  out 
as  freely  as  was  consistent  with  my  own  responsibility. 
But  ere  long  I  discovered  that  what  I  thought  a  concession, 
was  already  his — even  more,  that  his  personality  per- 
vaded everything  on  board:  in  a  word,  that  he  was  Cap- 
tain. Naturally,  I  couldn't  let  that  go  on;  and  the  meas- 
ures I  took  to  assert  my  own  authority  only  intensified  his 
enmity.  Although  not  a  meddler  in  the  domain  of  my 
subordinates,  still  I  believe  in  exercising  such  supervision 
as  will  ensure  my  views  being  carried  out  and  leave  no 
doubt  as  to  who  is  Captain  of  the  ship. 

"Soon,  I  detected  many  little  deceits  in  Hawse,  which 
made  me  gradually  cut  off  my  frank  speech  with  him; 
this  angered  him  the  more.  Why,  under  my  very  eyes 
while  he  had  the  deck,  he  frequently  acted  so  as  to  defeat 
the  success  of  a  manoeuvre;  or  did  it  purposely  wrong  to 
discredit  me :  he  is  an  excellent  seaman — the  crew  knew  it — 
they  couldn't  believe  him  guilty  of  lubberly  work — so  the 
natural  inference  was,  that  as  I  must  be  directing  it,  the 
unseamanlike  procedure  was  mine." 

"And  why  didn't  you  stop  that  right  then  and  there?" 
asked  Northrup  with  some  asperity;  for  he  had  always  in 
mind  the  greater  villainy  of  Hawse,  and  was  all  the  more 
indignant  that  his  evil  course  had  not  been  cut  off  at  first. 

Colburn  was  a  little  surprised  at  his  tone,  but  attributing 
it  to  interest,  decided  to  answer  fully  and  frankly. 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  439 

"  I  cannot  give  you  a  simple  and  direct  answer:  the  ques- 
tion involves  considerations  which  I  will  state,  if  you  would 
like  to  hear  them." 

"I  certainly  would,"  said  Northrup  with  emphasis. 

"  Well,  then,  an  insubordinate  officer  can  sail  very  close 
to  the  wind  without  being  caught  aback;  and  Hawse  is  as 
skillful  in  this  as  he  is  in  handling  a  ship.  Many  acts  that 
you  see,  you  judge  deserving  of  severe  punishment;  but  let 
them  be  told  you,  and  you  think  them  scarcely  worthy  of 
notice.  It  is  the  look — the  tone  of  voice — the  gesture, 
that  give  sting  to  the  act;  and  these  cannot  be  described: 
and  it  is  in  the  use  of  these  that  Hawse  is  an  adept. 

"I  need  not  tell  you — a  man  of  large  experience  of 
human  wiles — what  the  stock  in  trade  of  the  demagogue  is : 
patriotism  of  the  spectacular  kind,  maudlin  sentiments 
that  inflame  the  populace,  simulated  sympathy  for  the 
lowly  and  oppressed,  catch  words,  taking  phrases — all 
hollow  and  insincere;  and  used  solely  to  gain  the  good  will 
of  the  multitude,  or  incite  their  animosity  toward  whomso- 
ever the  cunning  fox  would  direct  his  hatred.  Well,  the 
demagogue  exists  at  sea,  also:  he  is  the  man  who  affects 
solicitude  for  the  sailor — his  rights  by  law,  his  comforts  by 
custom,  his  privileges  by  long  habit;  he  talks  as  much  to 
the  gallery  as  ever  representative  did  in  legislative  chamber: 
he  is  a  fine  fellow  with  the  men — they'll  do  anything  for 
him,  go  anywhere  with  him — generally,  not  always;  for 
sometimes  keen  witted  sailors  see  through  this  shamming, 
and  have  only  contempt  for  the  officer  who  practises  it. 
Now,  Hawse  is  a  sea  demagogue  of  the  first  rank:  he  knows 
every  vein  of  thought,  every  turn  of  speech,  every  act,  that 
will  bias  or  prejudice  a  sailor;  and  he  is  as  skilled  as  he  is 
unscrupulous  in  using  them.  Such  a  man  is  a  ferment  of 


440      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

evil  on  board  ship :  his  listeners  are  prone  to  prejudice  and 
suspicion — morbidly  jealous  of  all  that  belongs  to  them, 
and  easily  worked  up  to  a  raw  condition  regarding  any 
slight,  or  injury,  or  infringement  of  their  privileges. 

"If  I  should  recount  his  treacheries  in  justification  of 
the  only  punishment  adequate  to  the  offense,  I  should 
be  flouted — thought  too  harsh,  and  unduly  jealous  of  the 
authority  so  recently  acquired.  If  I  reduced  him  to  sea- 
man, it  would  only  be  to  plant  a  constant  instigator  of  evil 
in  the  midst  of  the  crew.  If  I  discharged  him  at  Callao, 
how  should  I  fare  with  the  owners  ?  They  knew  Hawse — 
he  had  been  long  in  their  sevice:  they  did  not  know  me — 
I  have  never  seen  them;  and  in  view  of  their  recent  action, 
I  should  get  short  shrift  when  brought  into  conflict  with 
Hawse's  backing;  for  you  must  know  that  at  sea  as  well  as 
on  shore  the  power  behind  one  counts  for  much. 

"But  you  will  say,  this  should  not  influence  me  in  the 
exercise  of  duty;  true,  only  all  the  circumstances  must  be 
weighed  to  determine  what  that  duty  is:  there  is  a  duty  to 
oneself  as  well  as  to  exterior  interests.  Looking  back  now 
with  the  experience  I've  had,  if  the  thing  were  to  be  done 
over  again,  I  should  not  hesitate  a  moment:  I  would  put 
him  ashore  at  the  first  port  after  he  committed  the  deed. 

"I  grant  that  at  the  time  I  did  not  appreciate  the  ser- 
iousness of  the  conduct  I  was  overlooking;  and  that  I 
lacked  the  determination  to  be  adequately  severe  in  gross 
cases — this  was  a  weakness:  I  was  loth  to  begin  my  com- 
mand with  extreme  action ;  and  besides,  what  I  should  do, 
would  seem  tyrannical  and  perhaps  bring  on  greater 
trouble  than  I  sought  to  correct. 

"I  was  on  very  thin  ice,  and  one  must  consider  the 
weakness  of  his  footing. 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  441 

"Moreover,  I  hoped  that  patience  and  considerate 
treatment  would  bring  all  things  right  in  time;  and  this 
kept  luring  me  on — closing  my  eyes  to  many  things  I  should 
have  looked  at  with  clear  vision  and  rectified  on  the  spur 
of  the  moment :  this  I  now  recognize  was  a  mistake. 

"  Hawse  has  the  nature  of  a  cur — fawning  when  pleased, 
snarling  when  the  expected  bone  is  not  forthcoming;  and 
like  the  cur,  too,  he  often  needs  the  harsh  word  to  cow  him 
into  submission. 

"  But  remember,  I  am  speaking  now  from  a  retrospect 
of  all  that  occurred;  and  that  on  the  Wenonah  I  was  for 
the  first  time  in  a  position  where  I  had  to  act  on  my  own 
judgment,  without  the  benefit  of  another's  point  of  view. 

"Now,  natures  that  are  not  largely  made  up  of  pride 
and  self  sufficiency,  and  that,  moreover,  have  not  acquired 
by  actual  dealing  with  certain  affairs  that  surety  and 
facility  of  action  which  comes  from  practice — but,  like 
new  machinery,  must  be  ground  down  by  oiling  and  much 
running — such  natures,  I  say,  appear  to  disadvantage  when 
contrasted  with  those  who  feel  the  ground  firm  beneath 
them.  Naturally,  among  my  new  duties  and  on  a  ship  new 
to  me,  there  were  at  first  some  matters  in  which  I  was  not 
as  ready  with  the  decisive  word  and  act  as  one  familiar 
with  the  situation;  or  as  one  might  affect  to  be,  and  there 
are  these,  too — all  knowing  persons  who  assume  what  often 
passes  for  knowledge  and  real  executive  ability.  But  I 
have  the  consciousness  of  having  groped  my  way  cautiously 
— thought  out  every  case  carefully,  and  decided  as  best  I 
knew  how. 

"  Hawse  saw  his  opportunity :  he  made  up  a  story  of  all 
the  incidents  of  the  voyage,  but  so  magnified  and  colored 
as  to  hide  completely  the  little  truth  forming  the  founda- 


442  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

tion.  This  is  what  the  newspapers  have  served  up  to  their 
readers — what  Alec  Campbell  and  Company  have  acted 
upon — and  what  prevents  me  getting  another  ship. 

"  There !  you  have  my  answer,  or  rather  the  considera- 
tions that  arose  whenever  the  question  came  up  of  setting 
the  First  Mate  ashore." 

Northrup  lost  not  a  word  of  the  recital. 

When  the  meal  was  over — in  reality  little  had  been 
eaten — Northrup  arose  and  said:  "Captain,  I  must  now 
ask  you  to  excuse  me.  I  have  a  matter  that  needs  my 
immediate  attention;  but  I  wish  you  would  come  to  my 
office  to-morrow — can  you  be  there  at  ten  o'clock  ?" 

"Certainly,"  said  Colburn,  as  he  took  the  card  with  the 
office  address.  When  Northrup  reached  his  office,  he 
wrote  a  hasty  note  to  Brooks  and  the  Doctor,  telling  them 
of  Colburn 's  latest  misfortune,  and  asking  them  to  come 
to  his  office  the  next  day  at  nine — Brooks  to  bring  the 
articles  connected  with  the  dismasting  of  the  Wenonah: 
he  had  taken  them  with  him  on  leaving  the  ship.  These 
notes  despatched,  he  proceeded  direct  to  the  counting- 
house  of  Alec  Campbell  and  Company. 

John  Northrup,  besides  being  a  lawyer  of  repute  in 
general  practice,  was  especially  so  in  important  Admirality 
cases:  he  was  therefore  well  known  in  the  maritime  com- 
munity. In  addition,  his  wealth  was  largely  invested  in 
ocean  traffic:  he  held  stock  in  some  companies,  was 
director  in  others,  and  part  owner  of  single  ships :  he  knew 
the  trade  of  the  sea  in  all  its  ramifications.  He  was  known 
as  a  man  of  solid  worth  and  integrity;  and  it  was  therefore 
with  gratification  that  the  owners  of  the  Wenonah  received 
a  visit  from  such  a  member  of  the  community — it  flattered 
them. 


John  Northrup,  Lawyer 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  443 

Northrup  came  at  once  to  the  object  of  his  visit — spoke 
of  the  agreeable  voyage  he  had  in  their  ship,  his  chance 
meeting  with  Captain  Colburn  that  morning,  and  the 
deep  regret  he  felt  at  his  dismissal. 

"Yes,"  said  Mr.  Campbell,  the  senior  member  of  the 
firm:  "we  had  to  do  it.  Although  highly  recommended 
to  us,  still  his  conduct  on  the  Wenonah  does  not  bear  out 
his  reputation.  Even  as  early  as  his  arrival  at  Callao,  he 
showed  qualities  that  unfitted  him  for  the  command.  We 
heard  of  his  actions  from  that  place,  and  again  from  Sandy 
Point,  through  a  clerk  of  ours  who  received  letters  from  a 
friend  on  board.  Why,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  First 
Mate,  the  ship  would  have  gone  down  in  a  gale  off  the 
coast  of  Patagonia.  Colburn  seems  to  have  been  a  vac- 
illating person — afraid  to  carry  sail — always  dreading  a 
storm  or  disaster  of  some  kind :  a  man  who  practised  petty 
tyrannies  on  the  crew,  and  was  otherwise  so  unfitted  to 
command,  that  I  wonder  how  those  who  recommended 
him  could  be  mistaken  in  him — " 

"They  were  no*,"  firmly  interposed  Northrup;  "and 
whoever  imposed  upon  you  the  estimate  you  have  ex- 
pressed, is  a  cowardly  slanderer."  He  rose  as  he  spoke, 
his  face  full  of  indignation. 

Campbell  was  astonished  at  this  outburst:  he  realized 
that  he  had  to  do  with  a  warm  defender  of  Colburn — 
perhaps  he  had  been  unjust  and  precipitate  in  discharging 
him:  at  any  rate,  it  would  injure  his  own  business  and 
reputation  to  offend  a  man  of  such  large  interests  and  high 
standing  in  the  commercial  community,  so  he  veered  at 
once  to  the  apologetic. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  that  I  spoke  so  frankly  about  Captain 
Colburn. 


444      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

"It  is  not  your  frankness  that  stirs  me,  but  the  gross 
injustice  you  have  done  a  trustworthy  and  most  capable 
man  by  hasty  action  on  biased  accounts." 

"  O,  as  regards  the  haste,  we  have  for  a  long  time  been 
thinking  of  this  step — ever  since  some  newspaper  articles 
began  to  appear  weeks  ago  censuring  the  management  of 
the  Wenonah,  as  reported  by  those  on  board:  these  articles 
hurt  our  business — shippers  were  reluctant  to  trust  their 
goods  in  a  vessel  subject  to  so  much  adverse  criticism. 

"As  regards  the  biased  accounts,  we  have  sought  infor- 
mation from  various  sources." 

"Have  you  sought  it  from  the  Captain  himself?" 

"No:  he  would  be  too  biased  in  his  own  favor." 

"Well,  I  should  like  to  present  his  side  of  the  case:  I 
think  you  will  find  it  of  the  utmost  importance  to  hear  it; 
and  I  should  want  to  state  it  in  the  presence  of  both  the 
Captain  himself  and  Mr.  Hawse — could  it  be  arranged  for 
to-morrow  at  eleven  o'clock  ?" 

"  Certainly :  we  shall  be  glad  to  hear  you  then  or  at  any 
other  time;  and  we  shall  have  Hawse  here,  as  you  wish." 

Northrup  took  his  departure  to  prepare  his  brief  as 
counsel  for  the  defence,  albeit  wholly  unknown  to  the 
defendant  himself.  When  evening  came  and  he  was  alone 
with  a  cigar  amidst  the  comforts  of  his  bachelor  apart- 
ment, his  thoughts  ran  on  in  this  wise : 

"  A  man's  reputation  is  a  fabric  of  too  delicate  a  texture 
to  be  handled  in  the  dark:  years  are  passed  in  building  it 
up,  and  every  attempt  to  destroy  it  should  be  open  to 
repulse :  accuser  and  accused  should  be  brought  together — 
every  witness  summoned  before  the  same  tribunal,  and  the 
inner  workings  of  each  laid  bare  by  the  most  rigid  cross- 
examination. 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  445 

"  Colburn  is  a  man  of  intelligence  and  integrity ;  they  are 
his  inheritance,  but  he  has  not  let  them  lie  dormant.  On 
the  contrary,  he  has  cultivated  and  used  both — he  has 
acquired  all  the  technical  knowledge  his  profession  calls 
for,  and  has  done  his  utmost  in  this  ship  to  lift  the  miserable 
material  he  had,  out  of  the  ruck  in  which  others  have  sunk 
it.  And  as  he  has  done  on  the  Wenonah,  so  I  believe  him 
to  have  done  during  his  many  years  at  sea :  a  man  does  not 
radically  change  his  methods  in  mature  life  at  some  casual 
turn  in  his  career. 

"  No ;  he  could  not  have  acquired  a  reputation  for  hon- 
esty, zeal,  and  capacity  among  those  who  were  his  asso- 
ciates without  those  qualities  being  salient :  they  are  right- 
fully his  possession — a  capital  which  he  should  be  able  to 
rely  upon  for  future  undertakings;  they  constitute  a  guar- 
antee to  those  who  may  employ  him  that  they  will  be  faith- 
fully and  intelligently  served.  His  character  and  reputa- 
tion, then,  are  things  of  real  value — the  acquisition  of 
thirty  years'  effort.  If  he  had  devoted  this  time  to  heap- 
ing up  gold,  this  material  evidence  of  labor  would  be  no 
more  actually  a  possession  than  reputation  and  character — 
the  money  is  but  the  concrete  evidence  of  work  which  even 
the  veriest  dullard  can  see,  while  reputation  is  the  intan- 
gible possession  which  only  the  intelligent  can  appreciate. 
For  a  man  to  be  stripped  of  his  treasure  in  one  fell  swoop 
by  the  masked  robber,  or  to  be  reduced  to  want  and  hard- 
ship in  an  instant  by  fire — this  is  an  affliction  which  we 
deeply  feel,  and  we  sympathize  with  the  sufferer;  but  the 
loss  of  reputation — is  this  a  calamity  that  excites  great 
sorrow  ? 

"  And  yet  it  is  not  the  capital  alone  in  this  case  that  goes : 
the  man  who  loses  his  wealth  only,  has  still  his  hands  to 


446      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

labor  with,  and  his  mind  to  devise;  and  both  are  aided  by 
the  sympathy  of  friends  as  well  as  by  their  material  re- 
sources :  but  the  man  with  ruined  reputation — what  has  he 
left  to  work  with?  The  faculties  on  which  he  depended 
are  discredited :  where  will  Captain  Colburn  turn  to-day  to 
ask  for  a  ship,  with  every  quality  that  should  entitle  him 
to  it,  blackened  ?  At  his  age,  the  capacity  and  ambition 
to  learn  a  new  occupation  are  weakened;  and  he  is  shut 
out  from  the  old  one.  Through  any  fault  of  his?  Not 
at  all :  quite  the  contrary — because  of  the  thoroughness  with 
which  he  performed  his  duty,  and  because  of  the  perversion 
of  his  every  act  by  a  jealous  rival.  And  his  employers? 
Almost  as  bad.  They  should  have  given  some  weight  to 
the  good  repute  borne  by  him.  ///  repute  is  always  held 
up  against  its  unfortunate  possessor — he  cannot  ask  for 
work,  but  it  rises  to  bar  employment;  he  cannot  enter  the 
witness  box,  but  it  stands  up  to  discredit  him :  not  an  effort 
does  he  make,  but  it  is  there  to  thwart  him. 

"  And  to  some  extent,  this  is  just.  It  is  his  own  making — 
he  did  the  deed  that  burdened  him  with  the  bad  reputation. 

"  Per  contra,  why  should  not  the  good  that  one  has  done, 
count  equally  in  his  favor? — even  more  so;  for  the  good 
is  difficult  of  performance — we  are  prone  to  evil  rather  than 
to  good.  No;  Colburn  was  entitled  to  all  the  considera- 
tion his  well  spent  life  should  have  guaranteed  for  him. 
Alec  Campbell  and  Company  had  no  right  to  discharge 
him  without  adequate  cause:  discharge  meant  putting  a 
stigma  on  his  reputation,  and  this  they  had  no  moral  right 
to  do.  Perhaps  legally  they  could  not  be  held  account- 
able— some  of  the  most  heinous  crimes  are  beyond  the  pale 
of  human  enactment ;  but  they  are  none  the  less  infractions 
of  the  code  of  equity  established  by  God. 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  447 

"  Hawse  set  the  knife  and  placed  the  victim — Campbell 
and  Company  committed  the  deed;  but  I  will  rescue  Col- 
burn  from  this  nest  of  vipers." 

The  next  morning,  Brooks  and  the  Doctor  were  at 
Northrup's  office  at  the  appointed  time. 

"This  is  a  terrible  blow  to  Colburn,"  said  Brooks: 
"  I  can  appreciate  its  force  better  than  you:  it  is  far  worse 
than  if  either  of  you  were  ostracised  in  your  profession. 
You  could  go  elsewhere  and  start  practice  anew — but 
where  will  he  go?  Wherever  ships  sail — there,  will  this 
scandal  pursue  him  and  kill  his  prospects;  for  there  is  a 
particular  pleasure  in  spreading  the  malicious  gossip  of 
the  sea.  It  will  be  told  in  every  forecastle  and  on  every 
quarter-deck — how  Colburn  managed  the  Wenonah  and 
was  fired  for  it:  and  then  there  will  be  a  chuckle  and 
snicker,  all  forgetting  that  Colburn 's  misfortune  of  to-day 
may  be  theirs  of  to-morrow;  and  that  it  is  only  a  fortuitous 
circumstance — the  mere  absence  of  a  Hawse  from  among 
them,  and  his  presence  with  Colburn,  that  saved  them 
from  wreck  and  brought  ruin  upon  the  man  they  laugh  at!" 

"What  you  say  is  most  true,"  said  Northrup:  "few 
realize  how  much  either  of  good  or  of  bad  is  purely  a 
matter  of  chance,  without  anything  in  their  own  conduct 
to  bring  it  about.  I  see  you  have  the  instruments  of  evil 
with  you" — glancing  at  the  package  in  his  hand. 

"Yes,  and  I  heartily  wish  they  were  instruments  of 
torture  to  wring  anguish  from  the  heart  of  the  scoundrel 
that  used  them!" 

"  Well,  you  may  have  that  pleasure,"  answered  Northrup 
with  a  smile. 

"What  do  you  intend  to  do?"  queried  Brooks  eagerly. 

"I  have  formulated  a  little  plan,   but  it  is  liable  to 


448      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

modification,  so  I  will  let  it  unfold  itself  in  the  execution. 
Colburn  will  be  here  in  a  few  minutes,  and  then  we  will 
all  go  to  the  counting  house  of  Alec  Campbell  and  Com- 
pany. Our  old  friend  Hawse  is  to  be  there,  and  I  hope 
this  will  be  the  last  scene  we  shall  have  to  act  with  him. 
But  here  is  Colburn — not  a  word  about  the  contents  of  that 
package." 

"Good  morning,  Captain,"  said  all  cheerily,  grasping 
his  hand  in  turn.  They  did  not  indulge  in  the  insincerity 
of  saying,  "You're  looking  well" — that  stereotyped  lie  of 
silly  politeness;  nor,  "I  am  sorry  for  your  misfortune  " — 
that  other  fatuous  phrase  which  only  irritates  by  its  hollow- 
ness.  No:  these  were  men  who  had  too  deep  a  regard  for 
one  another  to  degrade  the  feeling  by  hackneyed  words 
of  any  kind.  What  they  said,  or  did,  came  from  the  heart 
— full  of  earnestness  and  meaning. 

Colburn,  in  truth,  looked  wretched — worn  and  worried : 
another  refusal  of  employment  the  day  before,  after  leav- 
ing Northrup,  and  a  second  that  very  morning  before 
arrival,  filled  him  with  the  despair  that  was  reflected  in 
his  face. 

All  engaged  in  commonplace  remarks  such  as  occupy  a 
gathering  while  waiting  for  the  event  that  brought  them 
together.  Finally  Northrup  said : 

"Time  is  up — let  us  move  on  the  enemy!" 

Colburn  looked  an  enquiry,  and  Northrup  added : 
"Captain,  yesterday  after  leaving  you,  I  went  to  Alec 
Campbell  and  Company's,  and  mortgaged  their  time  for 
eleven  o'clock  to-day — let  us  now  proceed  to  foreclose: 
I  have  a  brief  to  read  to  them." 

"But  they  won't  receive  me,"  objected  Colburn. 

"O,  yes  they  will:  I  made  that  a  sine  qua  non  of  the 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  449 

pact."  And  off  they  started,  Northrup  lightsome  of 
speech  and  manner  which  was  strangely  out  of  keeping  with 
the  mood  of  the  others. 

The  repairs  to  the  Wenonah  were  hastening  to  com- 
pletion, and  a  cargo  had  been  secured — almost  enough  to 
load  the  ship;  but  these  gratifying  facts  were  dashed  by 
the  turn  of  affairs  on  board — it  greatly  worried  the  owners : 
seamen  were  scarce  and  hard  to  ship,  so  that  Alec  Camp- 
bell and  Company  decided  to  retain  their  crew;  but  the 
men  would  not  stay.  One  after  another  asked  for  dis- 
charge; and  only  that  very  morning  when  Northrup  and 
his  companions  went  to  see  the  Firm,  the  latter  received  a 
letter  from  old  Gower,  the  Boatswain,  asking  to  be  paid 
off. 

They  sent  for  Hawse  and  Gower,  and  were  discussing 
the  situation  with  them  when  our  party  arrived.  The 
shipowners  greeted  Northrup  cordially,  who  introduced 
the  Doctor,  Captain,  and  Brooks.  Mutual  salutations 
followed,  except  on  the  part  of  Colburn,  who  would  only 
bow  to  his  former  employers:  the  man  with  deeply  injured 
feelings  does  not  simulate  gladness  at  sight  of  him  who  in- 
flicted the  wound.  Hawse  and  Gower  had  withdrawn 
a*  little  when  the  others  came  in,  but  our  party  now  per- 
ceiving them,  went  up  to  old  Gower  and  shook  his  hand 
with  hearty  pleasure:  to  Hawse,  they  merely  said  "  Good 
morning";  but  Colburn  omitted  even  that — how  could  he 
with  any  self  respect  extend  a  friendly  recognition  to  the 
man  who  had  done  him  so  much  wrong  ?  Hawse,  on  the 
other  hand  eyed  Colburn  with  a  supercilious  stare,  full 
of  triumph:  nevertheless,  he  felt  ill  at  ease — there  was 
something  boding  in  this  party  with  Northrup  at  their 
head.  Hawse  tried  to  conciliate  this  gentleman,  by  step- 


450       THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

ping  toward  him  with  an  effusive  air,  as  if  to  shake  hands, 
but  Northrup  arrested  him  with  such  a  forbidding  look 
that  his  boldness  was  checked. 

The  preliminaries  being  over,  and  all  having  taken  seats, 
the  head  of  the  Firm  said:  "Mr.  Northrup,  you  accused 
us  yesterday  of  having  acted  without  sufficient  evidence 
in  the  case  of  Captain  Colburn — please  read  these";  and 
he  handed  to  Northrup  the  letters  written  by  Hawse  from 
Callao  and  Sandy  Point  to  his  friend  Bain,  the  contents 
of  which  are  already  known  to  the  reader.  "  Read  aloud, 
so  that  your  friends  also  may  know  our  justification." 

As  Northrup  began,  Hawse  flushed  scarlet;  and  when 
the  writer  became  known  by  reading  out  the  signature, 
all  eyes  turned  upon  him  with  such  scorn  and  contempt, 
that  it  was  pitiable  to  see  him  writhe  under  their  scrutiny : 
rage,  humiliation,  and  disappointment  swept  in  alternate 
redness  and  pallor  across  his  face.  He  never  intended 
those  letters  to  come  to  light — they  were  to  instil  their 
poison  in  the  dark;  and  here,  in  the  full  presence  of  him 
they  most  defamed,  and  of  those  who  could  easily  refute 
them,  his  friend  Bain  and  his  employer  had  treacherously 
betrayed  him,  to  clear  themselves.  When  the  last  letter 
was  finished,  the  late  Captain  and  passengers  of  the 
Wenonah  looked  at  one  another  in  dumb  amazement: 
then  Brooks  found  speech — "  What  a  diabolical  perversion 
of  facts!" 

Northrup  said :  "  Mr.  Campbell,  it  would  be  a  reflection 
on  your  intelligence  for  me  to  suppose  you  laid  any  great 
stress  on  these  letters :  the  falsity  pervading  them  is  scarcely 
veiled:  I  wonder  that  you  offer  them  as  a  reason  for 
influencing  your  action.  However,  let  me  say  a  word 
on  some  of  the  incidents  they  misrepresent. 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  451 

"  As  for  vacillation  and  incompetency  on  the  part  of  the 
Captain,  fear  of  storms,  timidity  about  carrying  sail,  dread 
of  disaster,  and  disregard  of  the  men's  comforts — they  are 
one  and  all  such  monstrous  lies,  that  I  can  only  stigmatize 
them  as  such;  and  their  author  knows  that  I  but  speak  the 
truth. 

"In  every  critical  situation  during  the  voyage — and 
especially  in  the  gale  off  Patagonia — Mr.  Hawse,  excellent 
seaman  that  he  is,  could  not  have  managed  better  than 
Captain  Colburn  did — in  fact,  Mr.  Hawse's  judgment 
(in  my  opinion)  would  have  decided  him  to  do  exactly 
what  the  Captain  did. 

"  I  had  heard  so  much  about  the  scenery  of  the  Patagon- 
ian  Channels  that  I  remained  on  deck  to  enjoy  it  every 
hour  the  ship  was  underway. 

"  The  Captain  always  got  the  vessel  under  way  himself 
at  early  dawn,  and  remained  on  the  bridge  with  charts, 
sailing  directions,  and  other  aids  to  navigation — piloting 
her  until  she  was  at  anchor  again  for  the  night:  probably 
twenty  minutes  each  day  the  Mate  relieved  him  for 
luncheon. 

"Knowing  my  interest  in  the  scenery,  the  Captain 
invited  me  to  a  seat  beside  him  on  the  bridge,  and  pointed 
out  every  prominent  peak,  headland,  glacier,  or  passage, 
as  he  picked  them  out  from  the  charts.  I  wondered  he 
could  do  it  so  accurately,  as  he  had  never  been  there 
before;  but  he  told  me  that  he  had  studied  everything 
pertaining  to  that  inland  navigation  so  closely  on  the  way 
down  from  Callao,  that  it  seemed  almost  familiar  to  him. 

"  We  had  good  weather,  as  a  rule,  in  the  Channels : 
in  the  most  dangerous  part,  however,  the  English  Narrows, 
it  was  misty;  we  passed  through  according  to  the  Captain's 


452      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

previous  calculation  of  slack  water,  and  not  in  any  mad 
rush  of  the  tide,  and  with  none  of  the  stage  effect  stated 
by  Mr.  Hawse.  In  Mayne  Channel  it  became  thick  and 
squally,  and  we  had  to  turn  into  Otter  Bay  where  we  rode 
out  a  moderate  gale — weather-bound  for  twenty  hours. 

"During  the  whole  voyage,  I  had  frequent  occasion — 
we  all  had — to  ask  the  Captain  about  matters  pertaining 
to  the  sea :  winds,  currents,  storms,  barometric  indications, 
deviations  of  the  compass,  seamanship,  and  the  astronomi- 
cal facts  on  which  navigation  rests;  and  upon  all  these  and 
many  other  matters  he  gave  us  such  concise,  clear,  and 
intelligent  explanations,  and  made  use  of  such  appropriate 
illustrations,  that  even  to  our  lay  minds,  they  were  easily 
intelligible,  and  showed  him  to  be  a  man  of  solid  attain- 
ments. 

"He  was  always  on  deck  in  bad  weather,  and  at  other 
times  had  a  keen  eye  on  the  conduct  of  affairs.  While 
considerate  for  the  men,  he  had  good  discipline — we  felt 
there  was  a  firm  hand  at  the  helm — a  man  who  made  no 
display  nor  extolled  either  his  own  importance  or  what  he 
had  to  do. 

"In  contrast  with  this,  the  First  Mate  was  prone  to 
speak  of  nautical  matters  with  an  oracular  tone,  as  if 
uttering  a  prophecy :  to  us  it  seemed  more  the  talk  of  a  man 
to  make  himself  prominent — chiefly  for  effect.  His  sneers 
at  the  Captain's  management  of  affairs,  and  his  deceitful, 
disloyal  thrusts,  we  despised,  but  gave  no  heed  to. 

"  I  think  my  fellow  passengers  will  bear  me  out  in  what 
I  have  said  ?"  turning  to  Brooks  and  the  Doctor. 

"Yes,"  said  the  latter,  speaking  for  both;  "only  that  it 
is  all  too  moderately  put." 

"And  I  can  say,"  spoke  up  old  Gower  from  his  corner, 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  453 

"that  every  word  Mr.  Northrup  says,  and  much  more  of 
the  same  sort,  is  true." 

"Then  why,"  asked  Mr.  Campbell,  "didn't  you  say 
so  to  the  reporters  and  the  man  I  sent  aboard  for  the  pur- 
pose of  finding  out  the  state  of  affairs  from  the  crew  ?" 

"Why?  Because  I  got  no  chance.  The  Mate,  he 
filled  up  some  men  with  rum  all  the  way  from  Monte- 
video— they'd  do  anything  for  him.  He  fixed  these  men, 
so  when  the  newspaper  reporters  and  your  man  came  on 
board,  they  saw  only  those  who  were  told  what  to  say: 
the  rest  of  us  were  kept  out  of  the  way.  When  Captain 
Colburn  left  the  ship,  the  Mate  went  back  on  us — he  got 
sour  on  us  all;  and  that's  why  we're  leaving,  if  you  want 
to  know  it,  Mr.  Campbell.  We  can't  stand  the  Mate." 

"  And  you  shall  not.  Mr.  Hawse,  you  are  no  longer  in 
our  service.  Captain  Colburn,  we  acted  on  false  testi- 
mony, you  see:  we  will  give  you  back  the  Wenonah — you 
can  take  command  to-day." 

"  Neither  to-day,  nor  ever  again,  Mr.  Campbell.  Thirty 
years  of  sea  going  has  given  me  something  of  a  reputation 
in  the  shipping  community,  and  you  employed  me  on  that 
reputation  without  ever  having  seen  me.  You  discharged 
me  on  lying  reports  without  even  a  hearing:  worse,  you 
insulted  me  through  a  youngster  in  your  office,  threatening 
to  have  me  arrested  when  I  only  sought  to  have  my  side 
heard — me,  a  man  past  fifty,  who  held  a  commission  in 
the  Navy,  and  served  throughout  the  Civil  War,  and  com- 
manded one  of  your  ships,  to  be  humiliated  by  an  under- 
strapper whose  highest  employment  is  to  copy  routine 
letters!  But  you  receive  Mr.  Northrup  to  state  my  case: 
he  could  not  do  it  more  accurately  than  I.  You  fear  his 
importance  and  influence  in  this  city,  however;  you  dare 


454      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

not  show  anything  but  courtesy  to  him,  but  you  chose  to 
treat  me  with  contumely,  because  you  didn't  think  I  had  any 
backing.  It  was  therefore  only  the  power — the  standing 
of  this  gentleman  that  made  you  listen  and  learn  of  the 
lies  told  you  about  me,  and  through  which  (but  for  him) 
a  lasting  injury  would  be  done  me:  I  might  continue  to 
seek  a  ship  and  never  get  one,  but  for  the  chance  meeting 
with  him  yesterday;  and  on  such  a  slight  thread  did  my 
career  hang ! 

"  The  injustice  you've  done  me  is  outrageous  in  a  man 
occupying  the  position  you  do,  where  you  can  inflict  the 
same  on  others.  Take  command  from  you  again  ? 
Never!  Nor  will  any  other  self  respecting  captain." 

"  Spoken  like  a  man,"  said  Northrup,  turning  toward 
him;  "and  I  can  promise  you  that  ere  many  weeks  you 
shall  have  a  finer  ship  than  the  Wenonah,  with  more  pay." 

Colburn  spoke  with  such  anger  and  vehemence  that  all 
present  could  only  look  and  listen :  Campbell  made  motions 
as  if  to  interrupt  him,  but  Colburn  kept  right  on — the  flow 
of  injured  feelings  was  finding  vent  in  hot  words  that 
nothing  could  stop. 

Hawse,  deeming  his  presence  no  longer  necessary  or 
desirable,  moved  toward  the  door  and  said :  "  Mr.  Camp- 
bell, if  you  will  give  the  order  to  pay  me,  I'll  leave  at  once." 

"  One  moment,  Mr.  Hawse,"  said  Northrup,  intercepting 
him:  " I  have  placed  Captain  Colburn  in  his  proper  light — 
I  wish  to  do  the  same  with  you." 

"You  needn't  trouble  yourself — I'm  all  right,"  retorted 
Hawse. 

"But  I  insist,"  responded  Northrup;  and  Hawse  saw 
he  was  cornered  and  would  have  to  stay  and  listen.  All 
the  others  turned  to  Northrup,  wondering  what  he  was 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  455 

going  to  say.  "Mr.  Hawse,  you  will  recall  a  little  dis- 
course I  held  in  the  Straits  of  Magellan — you  were  present. 
The  subject  was  Treachery  and  Slander.  It  was  not  the 
outburst  of  the  moment,  as  might  be  thought  from  the  way 
it  was  thrust  upon  the  audience;  but  was  deliberately 
planned  by  Mr.  Brooks  and  myself,  and  every  word  of  it 
was  aimed  specifically  at  you.  We  saw  that  the  frequent 
slurs  you  cast  upon  the  Captain  were  discrediting  him  with 
the  crew,  and  inciting  them  to  insubordination;  and  we 
hoped  to  stem  the  practise  by  the  means  I  took — to  open 
your  eyes  to  the  gravity  of  what  you  were  doing." 

Hawse  was  getting  fidgety  and  impatient  to  go. 

"  Worse  than  that  has  since  occurred,"  continued  North- 
rup:  this  gave  a  violent  start  to  the  Mate  and  brought  a 
flush  to  his  face,  both  of  which  Northrup  didn't  fail  to 
notice.  "  These  letters  that  you  wrote  and  the  instructions 
you  gave  the  crew  to  lie  about  the  events  of  the  voyage,  are 
all  highly  defamatory  of  Captain  Colburn :  they  have  been 
publicly  put  forth — published  in  the  daily  papers;  they 
lost  him  his  place;  they  blighted  his  reputation — and 
would  have  wrecked  his  life,  if  we,  these  gentlemen  and 
I,  were  not  here  to  expose  their  falsity.  You  committed 
the  deed — we  are  witnesses  to  the  fact,  and  under  the  law 
you  are  liable  to  criminal  prosecution  for  defamation  of 
character,  besides  being  liable  for  damages :  it  rests  entirely 
with  Captain  Colburn  to  bring  suit  for  the  latter,  and  it 
may  be  my  duty  to  report  the  libel  to  the  District  Attorney 
for  his  action." 

During  this  arraignment,  Hawse  recovered  somewhat 
from  the  fright  he  showed  at  its  beginning — he  expected 
something  else. 

Again   Northrup   went   on:  "We   now   approach   the 


456  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

catastrophe  of  this  plot.  Some  disastrous  event  must 
occur  to  ruin  the  Captain — something  visible,  tangible, 
that  could  be  pointed  to  as  evidence  of  incompetency  and 
bad  seamanship.  It  came — the  ship  was  dismasted: 
how  did  it  occur?  Mr.  Brooks  and  I  went  among  the 
men  and  asked  how  they  explained  it:  their  answers  were 
singularly  accordant,  and  all  identical  with  that  given  by 
you,  Mr.  Hawse:  the  origin  of  the  explanation  was  evident, 
and  Brooks  could  not  refrain  from  telling  you  how  silly 
that  explanation  was.  From  other  sources  we  gleaned  odd 
bits  of  evidence  regarding  the  accident:  from  the  Captain 
we  could  get  nothing,  more  than  that  the  topmast  rigging 
lost  its  support  through  the  spider  band  giving  way;  but 
there,  all  explanation  stopped — how  did  it  give  way? 
I  have  pieced  the  various  shreds  of  evidence  together  and 
am  now  prepared  to  answer  that  question — Brooks,  will 
you  open  that  package  and  lay  out  its  contents  on  the 
table  ?"  While  Northrup  addressed  the  request  to  Brooks, 
his  eyes  were  fixed  on  Hawse,  whom  he  saw  shudder  and 
turn  red  as  if  from  an  apoplectic  stroke. 

Northrup  resumed:  "During  the  middle  watch  of  the 
night  preceding  the  disaster,  a  man  left  the  poop  and  went 
aloft  on  the  main;  he  was  provided  with  that  monkey 
wrench  and  a  can  of  acid ;  he  poured  the  acid  on  the  nut  of 
the  bolt  that  held  the  jaws  of  the  band  together,  in  order  to 
loosen  the  rust  that  stuck  it  tight;  then  he  wrenched  out 
the  pin  that  kept  the  nut  in  place — unscrewed  the  nut  a 
few  turns — laid  down  from  aloft — went  below  and  turned 
in,  leaving  the  rolling  of  the  ship  to  do  the  rest:  and  that 
man  was  you,  Jacob  Hawse!" 

"  It's  a  lie! — it  was  not  me." 

"Softly,    Mr.    Hawse — no   harsh   words:    if   I   accuse 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  457 

you    wrongfully,  I    will  render  ample  reparation." 

"You  shall  give  me  satisfaction,"  shouted  Hawse  with 
bravado — all  in  a  tremble  and  alternately  white  and  red. 

"Now,  gentlemen,"  continued  Northrup;  "examine  the 
articles  and  be  satisfied  that  the  wreck  was  brought  about 
in  the  way  I  have  described."  All  did  so,  and  agreed  that 
it  was. 

"Well,  the  punishment  for  the  miscreant  that  did  the 
deed — who  will  destroy,  or  try  to  destroy  a  vessel  on  the 
high  seas — is,  by  statute  of  the  United  States,  death! 

"Sam  Ruggles  lent  you  the  acid  and  monkey  wrench, 
and  Carlo  Castanguolo  saw  you  leave  the  poop  and  go 
forward.  Finally,  and  once  more,  with  full  realization 
of  the  gravity  of  the  charge,  I  say  you  are  the  man  who 
caused  the  disaster.  There  are  many  witnesses  here  to  my 
assertion — you  can  summon  them  all:  if  I  have  accused 
you  falsely,  you  have  an  excellent  case  against  me  for 
slander:  you  can  recover  damages,  and  I  can  be  sent  to 
prison:  there's  my  card  and  address — employ  a  lawyer — 
bring  suit  for  defamation  of  character — that's  your  repara- 
tion." 

"By  Heaven,  I  shall;  and  that  soon!"  roared  Hawse  as 
he  rushed  from  the  room. 

Consternation  was  in  the  faces  of  Colburn,  old  Gower, 
and  the  owners  of  the  Wenonah  as  they  gazed  at  the  articles 
on  the  table:  Colburn  muttered  under  his  breath,  "And 
to  think  that  all  this  time  I  was  carrying  along  with  me  a 
man  who  could  do  that  deed!"  Then  aloud:  "But,  Mr. 
Northrup,  are  you  not  risking  a  great  deal  in  this  accusa- 
tion ?" 

"  O  no,"  said  Northrup  with  a  smile:  "  neither  you  nor  I 
will  see  more  of  Jacob  Hawse.  He  did  the  deed  but  has 


458  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

cunningly  escaped  under  guise  of  seeking  redress  for  the 
injury  he  would  have  us  believe  I  did  him." 

"Mr.  Northrup,"  said  Alec  Campbell,  "if  you  had  told 
us  all  this  on  arrival  of  the  ship,  it  would  have  saved  us 
and  others  the  trouble  that  has  come  upon  us." 

"I  judged  otherwise,"  answered  Northrup.  "The 
whole  course  of  perfidy  of  the  First  Mate,  and  his  final 
act  in  particular,  is  so  monstrous,  that  it  would  not  be 
credited  by  any  one;  and  least  of  all  by  your  Firm,  preju- 
diced as  you  were  by  the  newspaper  articles  and  Hawse's 
letters.  Your  unheard  of  action  in  refusing  even  to  see 
the  Captain  and  hear  a  word  in  his  own  defense,  proves 
how  bitter  your  feelings  were.  Suppose  I  had  told  the 
Captain  of  Hawse  having  brought  about  the  disaster — 
what  would  follow  ?  In  his  straightforward  way,  Captain 
Colburn  would  come  to  you  (provided  always  you  would 
receive  him)  and  accuse  the  Mate.  This  man  with  all  his 
brazenness  would  deny  it  more  vehemently  than  he  has 
just  done:  he  would  scout  the  charge  with  all  the  indigna- 
tion of  innocence  he  can  so  well  simulate.  Captain  Col- 
burn  would  be  sued  for  libel,  and  it  might  go  against  him. 
Hawse  was  the  subordinate,  accused  by  the  Captain — 
why?  To  cover  up  (as  the  Mate  would  assert)  incom- 
petence and  lubberly  seamanship;  and  in  this  assertion  he 
would  have  the  sympathy  of  the  populace  and  probably 
of  the  jury ;  and  I  can  assure  you  that  such  sympathy  counts 
for  much  in  every  trial.  Few  are  the  cases  judged  solely 
on  the  simple  facts  adduced  in  evidence ;  but  the  finding — 
lenient  or  severe — is  more  or  less  tinctured  with  the  senti- 
ments prevalent  in  the  community  regarding  the  parties 
to  the  suit. 

"  You  have  only  to  recall  some  notable  instances  of  recent 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  459 

date:  one  in  this  city,  where  a  chorus  girl  shot  a  man  to 
death  in  a  cab,  and  was  let  off  through  disagreement  of 
the  jury,  chiefly  (no  doubt)  because  of  the  feeling  in  her 
favor  by  a  certain  class  in  the  community  whose  ideas  of 
right  and  wrong  are  hazy  at  best,  and  who  at  all  times  are 
very  emotional;  and  the  other  in  Omaha,  where  a  self 
confessed  kidnapper  and  highwayman  was  cleared  because 
the  child  he  stole  belonged  to  a  member  of  the  odious 
Beef  Trust.  In  both  cases  the  bias  was  for  the  criminal, 
and  public  morality  suffered  grievously  thereby.  But 
prejudice  against  the  accused  also  arises:  the  influence  of 
the  bitter  feeling  among  the  relatives  of  those  lost  on  the 
Slocum  was  no  doubt  reflected  in  the  punishment  adjudged 
her  commanding  officer:  as  reported,  these  relatives  were  in 
court  'when  the  verdict  was  announced,  and  seemed 
pleased  at  the  long  term  of  years  to  which*  the  Captain 
was  sentenced;  and  the  judge  said,  in  passing  it:  *  You  are 
no  ordinary  criminal — I  must  make  an  example  of  you.' 
"The  technical  charge  on  which  he  was  found  guilty, 
was  'criminal  negligence  in  failing  to  maintain  a  system 
of  fire  drills  on  board  the  excursion  boat  General  Slocum 
which  was  burned  to  the  water's  edge  in  June,  1904;  and 
for  this  he  was  sentenced  to  ten  years  in  Sing  Sing  at  hard 
labor.'  To  be  sure,  the  loss  of  life  was  great — more  than 
a  thousand  persons ;  and  the  negligence  of  the  Captain  was 
gross  and  deserving  of  severe  punishment:  but  the  vessel 
was  of  light,  highly  inflammable  wood ;  and  a  strong  wind 
was  blowing.  The  Captain  might  have  had  the  most  effi- 
cient fire  drill  ever  practised,  and  yet  been  unable  to  save 
that  mass  of  tinder  from  burning.  The  fire  department 
of  this  city  is  considered  as  effective  as  drill  and  apparatus 
can  make  it,  and  yet  I  saw  the  Windsor  Hotel  on  Fifth 


460      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

Avenue  burn  on  a  calm  afternoon,  with  great  loss  of  life, 
and  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  a  host  of  disciplined  firemen, 
numerous  engines,  a  network  of  hose,  and  abundant  water. 
Contrast  this  structure  (mostly  of  brick,  stone,  and  mortar) 
with  the  wooden  filigree  adornment  of  the  Slocum  all 
ablaze  in  a  fierce  wind  with  only  a  few  raw  deck  hands  to 
fight  it!  Even  the  judge  who  pronounced  sentence  seems 
to  have  had  a  qualm  about  its  justice  when  he  said  that 
although  'in  the  opinion  of  others  it  might  be  deemed 
unduly  harsh  to  pronounce  sentence  for  the  mere  failure 
to  have  fire  drills,  yet  he  felt  that  the  sentence  of  ten  years 
was  warranted  by  the  letter  of  the  law. ' 

"It  was  a  jury  of  many  thousands,  animated  by  vin- 
dictive prejudice,  and  not  the  twelve  men  alone  sworn  to 
decide  upon  the  facts  stated  in  court,  that  passed  upon  the 
case;  and  that  (more  or  less)  pass  upon  almost  every  case — 
certainly  upon  every  one  that  deeply  stirs  the  community. 
And  this  Public  Opinion  must  be  reckoned  with,  if  we 
would  judge  aright  of  the  chances  of  success  in  litigation. 

"Then  why  was  the  Captain  alone  made  to  suffer? 

"The  owners  of  the  Slocum  should  also  have  been 
indicted,  convicted,  and  imprisoned:  they  were  the  men 
who  provided  defective  hose  and  puny  streams  of  water  to 
extinguish  a  mass  of  kindling  wood  in  flames :  the  Captain 
was  only  their  subordinate — to  do  their  bidding  with  what 
they  supplied.  It  is  an  omission  of  justice  to  punish  him 
only,  just  as  it  is  ridiculous  to  arrest  the  firemen  and  en- 
gineers of  hotels  for  burning  soft  coal  in  the  smoke  crusade 
that  is  periodically  carried  on  in  this  city:  the  principal 
is  the  man,  not  the  agent,  that  in  every  instance  should 
be  punished.  But  the  principal — bah!  does  he  often  have 
to  put  on  prison  garb  ? 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  461 

'  The  bias  or  prejudice  of  even  the  occupant  of  the  bench 
is  often  apparent.  We  accept  the  dicta  of  our  judicial 
tribunals  because  we  elect  them  to  decide  disputes — to 
interpret  the  law;  but  we  do  not  necessarily  accept  their 
judgments  as  always  correct,  any  more  than  two  baseball 
teams  think  the  umpire  impartial  in  every  decision. 

"  When  our  Court  of  Appeals  by  a  majority  of  only  one 
decrees  that  the  object  for  which  money  is  stolen,  deter- 
mines whether  or  not  the  act  is  theft — does  that  accord  with 
our  sense  of  right  ?  Rather,  the  dissenting  opinion  of  the 
Chief  Judge  of  the  same  court — that  every  deed  of  theft  is 
theft  per  se,  no  matter  even  if  designed  to  relieve  distress — 
this  is  the  sentiment  that  finds  a  responsive  chord  in  our 
moral  nature. 

"Again:  the  action  of  a  California  court  amazes  us — 
deciding  upon  a  tangle  of  minor  technicalities,  instead  of 
the  broad  moral  ground  of  the  case,  and  thereby  defeating 
those  who  labored  hard  to  raise  San  Francisco  from  the 
flood  of  crime  in  which  her  Mayor  and  others  had  sunk  it. 
Truly,  the  indignation  of  the  trial  judge  (from  whose  court 
the  case  was  appealed)  will  have  a  sympathetic  echo  in  the 
heart  of  every  honest  man  who  reads  his  outburst:  'I 
think  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  this  came  up  before  a  Court 
[of  Appeals]  whose  relatives  have  relatives  and  intimate 
personal  friends  under  indictment  by  the  same  Grand 
Jury  that  returned  the  true  bills  in  this  case.  I  would 
further  say  that  the  jury  which  returned  the  righteous 
verdict  in  that  case  according  to  the  law  and  the  evidence 
will  be  remembered  with  respect  and  honor  long  after  the 
present  judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  are  cast  off  and 
forgotten.' 

"These  instances  show  that  judges,  too,  must  be  reck- 


462      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

oned  with — that  bias  or  prejudice,  hate  or  friendliness, 
trickery  or  frenzy,  pervading  the  community,  may  also 
affect  them  as  well  as  the  jury.  But  after  all,  when  the 
jury  has  rendered  its  verdict  and  the  judge  his  sentence, 
there  is  still  in  the  breast  of  man — man  at  large,  untram- 
melled by  legal  technicalities  and  the  passions  of  the  multi- 
tude, a  sense  of  right  and  justice  that  no  authoritative 
decision  from  any  tribunal  (when  wrong)  will  prevail 
against  or  silence. 

"  Mr.  Hawse  could  get  a  shyster  lawyer  to  bring  suit  for 
him — Captain  Colburn  might  be  found  guilty,  and  have  to 
suffer  fine  or  imprisonment.  He  has  no  money — no  per- 
sonal standing  nor  influential  friends  in  this  community: 
it  would  be  a  weak  defense  he  could  make.  He  is  further 
weighed  down  by  the  care  of  a  family — it  would  go  hard 
with  him  in  every  way,  even  though  the  case  stopped  short 
of  conviction.  He  is  in  no  sense  strong  or  provided  with 
the  means  to  fight  such  an  attack.  /  am,  on  the  contrary: 
I  am  known  here — I  have  wealth — I  can  fight  effectively; 
I  am  alone — none  need  suffer  but  myself  if  suit  be  brought 
on  my  accusation;  but  none  will  be — the  infernal  scoundrel 
who  did  the  deed  is  only  too  glad  to  get  off  as  he  did.  And 
if  I  felt  that  the  circumstantial  evidence  I  have  (strong  as 
it  is),  would  convict  him  and  at  least  put  him  behind  prison 
bars  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  I  would  lay  the  matter  before 
the  proper  authorities :  but  failure  to  convict  after  institut- 
ing action  (where  we  know  he  is  guilty)  would  be  worse 
than  not  to  bring  him  at  all  to  the  bar  of  justice — it  would 
in  a  measure,  be  giving  him  a  clear  character;  whereas  now, 
the  stigma  of  the  crime  will  forever  brand  him  and  probably 
subject  him  to  greater  punishment  in  the  long  run,  than 
legal  methods  could  inflict. 


THE  WEB  OF  PERFIDY  EXPOSED  463 

"  And  now,  Mr.  Campbell,  having  righted  this  wrong  to 
my  own  satisfaction — and  I  trust,  gentlemen,  (turning  to 
the  Captain,  Brooks,  and  the  Doctor)  to  yours,  also,  I  will 
take  my  leave." 

His  companions  warmly  shook  both  his  hands  while  ex- 
pressing their  gratification,  to  which  the  Captain  added  his 
sincere  thanks. 

When  they  had  left  the  counting  house,  Northrup  said : 
"Now,  you  are  all  coming  to  luncheon  with  me — we  will 
revive  the  happy  memories  of  the  Wenonah,  and  bury  the 
sad  ones  forever'*:  and  they  went,  ate  accordingly,  and  had 
a  convivial  feast. 


CHAPTER  XXV 
JACOB  HAWSE 

Which  is  the  villain  ?     Let  me  see  his  eyes, 
That  when  I  note  another  man  like  him, 
I  may  avoid  him. 

— Shakspere. 

WHEN  old  Gower  returned  to  the  Wenonah,  he  had  a 
great  yarn  to  spin,  and  it  was  with  mouths  agape  that  all 
the  forecastle  listened.  It  quickly  spread  among  the  ship- 
ping— a  marvelous  tale!  Who  ever  heard  of  the  spider 
band  being  loosened  in  that  way — wasn't  it  an  accident  ? 
Did  any  one  ever  know  of  a  case  where  it  broke  of  itself  ? 
Yes :  an  old  shell-back,  formerly  of  the  Navy,  had  been  on 
a  man-of-war  where  it  actually  occurred,  and  brought  down 
the  top  hamper  in  much  the  same  way  it  did  on  the  Weno- 
nah: when  examined,  the  band  was  found  rusted  nearly 
through  in  one  place,  only  a  thin  strip  of  sound  metal 
covering  the  defect;  and  in  the  strain  of  rolling  (it  was 
during  violent  motion  of  the  ship  that  the  accident  oc- 
curred) this  strip  snapped,  and  the  next  roll  brought  down 
the  topmast  and  all  above  it.  Perhaps  this  was  the  case  on 
the  Wenonah;  and  so  Hawse  found  a  quasi  defender:  few 
could  wholly  credit  the  malicious  act. 

But  a  Nemesis  arose  to  do  justice,  and  carry  conviction 
to  the  skeptical — it  was  in  the  newspapers  and  therefore 
nobody  could  doubt  it!  Yes,  the  journalistic  blood- 

464 


JACOB  HAWSE  465 

hounds  were  speedily  on  the  scent:  they  visited  the  Weno- 
nah  again — interviewed  old  Gower — learned  the  facts  as 
he  had  heard  them  from  Northrup,  and  then  proceeded 
to  fill  in  and  embellish  the  tale,  until  the  original  narrator 
would  hardly  recognize  his  plain  statement  amidst  the 
bristling  verbiage,  the  appalling  situations,  the  thrilling 
incidents,  and  the  terrors  of  sky  and  sea  in  which  it  was 
dressed  up,  in  order  to  tempt  the  overfed  appetite  of  public 
taste.  And  all  this,  illustrated  by  a  picture  of  the  per- 
petrator crouching  in  the  slings  of  the  main  yard,  monkey 
wrench  in  hand,  tugging  at  the  nut,  his  pirate  visage 
illuminated  by  a  vivid  flash  of  forked  lightning.  Yes,  there 
was  even  the  diagram  showing  exactly  how  every  detail 
had  been  executed — it  was  marvelous  how  these  purveyors 
of  sensation  had  done  their  work!  The  facts  were  there, 
to  be  sure:  Northrup 's  story  ran  as  a  thread  through  the 
whole,  but  so  deftly  overlaid  with  accessories  of  every 
kind,  as  scarcely  to  be  perceived  by  the  non-critical:  these 
must  be  entertained  or  stirred  to  read — that  was  the  end 
in  view;  and  while  it  interested,  the  tale  carried  conviction. 

When  the  reporters  visited  the  ship  the  first  time,  they 
wanted  a  picture  of  the  hero  of  the  tale  they  then  pub- 
lished, and  so  they  photographed  Hawse;  now,  the  picture 
appeared  again,  but  as  the  arch  fiend  of  a  story  that  made 
him  infamous:  so  do  our  vanities  come  home  to  roost! 

Hawse  would  give  his  all,  never  to  have  had  that  photo- 
graph taken :  it  would  make  him  known  wherever  he  went, 
and  be  an  effective  bar  to  his  employment. 

He  did  what  sailors  often  do — he  changed  his  name. 
He  also  changed  his  appearance:  in  the  first  photograph, 
he  wore  the  uniform  of  the  Wenonah;  he  then  had  a  full 

beard  and  mustaches,  which,  with  his  hair,  were  sandy  in 
so 


466  THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

color  and  much  streaked  with  gray.  All  this  made  him 
appear  a  man  of  staid  habits  and  mature  years.  He 
shaved  his  beard,  dyed  his  hair  and  mustaches  black,  and 
put  on  a  gray  suit — which  gave  him  a  comparatively  young 
appearance,  so  that  even  a  former  shipmate  might  pass  him 
without  recognizing  him. 

The  name  he  took  was  Joshua  Hunniwell — that  of  a 
young  sailor  he  had  been  shipmates  with  some  years 
previously:  they  had  grown  up  as  boys  in  the  same  village, 
and  went  to  sea  together.  On  a  voyage  to  Hong  Kong, 
his  chum  died  of  dysentery  in  the  Indian  Ocean  and  was 
buried  at  sea. 

Josh,  as  he  had  been  called,  was  an  open  hearted  fellow; 
and  long  ere  his  sickness  came  on,  he  had  told  Hawse  every 
detail  of  his  life:  their  initials  were  the  same,  and  Hawse 
could  personate  him  easily.  Among  other  things  he  made 
known,  was  the  fact  that  he  had  a  deposit  of  a  few  hundred 
dollars  in  a  Savings  Bank  in  New  York,  which,  on  their 
return,  he  would  surprise  his  mother  by  giving  her. 

Hawse,  with  the  cunning  of  his  nature,  laid  away  all 
these  secrets  of  his  friend  in  the  recesses  of  his  memory,  but 
imparted  none  in  return.  Shortly  before  Josh  died,  he 
gave  his  bank  book  to  Hawse  with  the  request  that  he  send 
it  to  his  mother:  at  the  same  time,  he  gave  him  the  neces- 
sary information  required  by  the  bank,  to  be  communi- 
cated to  her.  Hawse  solemnly  promised  to  carry  out  his 
friend's  dying  wish,  but  he  never  did:  in  all  the  subsequent 
years,  he  held  on  to  the  book,  and  only  wrote  to  the  widow 
of  the  death  of  her  son.  He  had  the  book  still — would  he 
draw  the  money  ?  Not  yet :  he  had  some  ready  cash  and 
would  leave  the  bank  account  for  a  time  of  stress. 

The  bank-book  inspires  its  possessor  with  conscious 


JACOB  HAWSE  467 

power — a  firmness  of  tread — a  confidence  that  impels  to 
undertakings;  it  is  a  collateral  of  success  and  plays  no 
small  part  in  its  achievement;  it  is  a  spring  to  action — a 
giver  of  strength :  whereas  he  who  has  it  not,  but  must  rely 
upon  his  hand-to-mouth  morsel — his  daily  meal  (either 
financial  or  material)  to  keep  him  going — no  reserve  force 
or  funds,  loses  ground  because  of  that  very  non-possession ; 
and  in  time  becomes  hesitating  in  enterprise;  his  virility 
lapses  into  timidity,  and  he  fears  almost  shadows,  lest  he 
fail  in  his  little  ventures.  Wealth  emboldens — its  absence 
weakens;  and  many  a  man,  who  by  nature  has  little  to 
advance  him  in  the  struggle  of  life,  owes  his  prominence 
solely  to  inherited  wealth  or  its  sudden  acquisition  through 
some  fortuitous  circumstance:  whereas  many  another  who 
has  the  qualities  to  attain  success  is  often  dwarfed,  or 
balked  of  that  success,  by  the  constant  effort  to  keep  his 
head  above  the  waves  of  every  day  necessities. 

But  Hawse  must  seek  a  ship:  he  was  no  loafer — quite 
the  contrary — an  energetic  man,  who  found  unemployed 
hours  very  heavy.  He  aimed  high  at  first — he  wanted 
command;  but  ships  are  not  like  raspberries,  that  may 
be  picked  by  the  wayside.  The  quest  of  a  week  convinced 
him  that  he  must  modify  his  aspirations:  then  he  tried  for 
the  billet  of  First  Mate;  but  this,  too,  was  not  to  be  had  for 
the  asking.  A  few  weeks  more  of  fruitless  and  discourag- 
ing endeavor  only  made  his  face  familiar  in  shipping  circles 
— men  asked  who  he  was.  One  day  he  went  aboard  a 
vessel  and  asked  for  a  position  in  any  capacity,  even  that 
of  boatswain:  his  manner  inspired  confidence — impressed 
men  with  the  idea  that  he  was  a  capable  man,  which  he 
really  was.  The  Captain  told  him  to  come  the  next  day 
and  probably  he  would  engage  him.  He  had  hardly  left 


468      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

the  ship,  when  one  of  the  sailors  stepped  up  to  the  Captain 
and  asked  if  he  knew  who  that  was. 

"No,"  said  he. 

"Why,  that's  Jake  Hawse  who  wrecked  the  Wenonah: 
I  was  on  her  when  he  done  it."  The  sailor  was  one  of 
Hawse's  former  puppets — Ivan  Kaulbars,  who  turned  up 
to  betray  him. 

The  next  day  when  Hawse  returned  full  of  hope  and 
self-assertion,  he  found  the  Captain  stiff  and  suspicious. 

"  You  say  your  name  is  Joshua  Hunniwell  ?" 

"Yes  sir." 

"  Was  it  ever  Jacob  Hawse,  and  did  you  have  the  berth 
of  First  Mate  of  the  Wenonah  ?" 

"Never!"  said  Hawse  with  almost  insolent  indignation; 
and  the  Captain  felt  that  possibly  he  made  a  bad  mistake, 
when  Ivan  Kaulbars  stepped  up  and  said : 

"O  yes,  you  were  on  the  Wenonah,  Mr.  Hawse — I 
know  you — and  you  know  me." 

"It's  a  lie,"  hissed  Hawse;  but  his  manner  as  he  turned 
away,  plainly  showed  that  he  himself  was  the  liar. 

His  identity  soon  became  known  along  the  water  front, 
and  the  former  man  of  mystery  was  now  pointed  out  every- 
where as  the  one  who  had  wrecked  the  Wenonah.  Wher- 
ever he  went,  he  saw  the  accusation  in  the  forbidding  looks 
of  all  he  spoke  to:  even  before  uttering  a  word,  his  quest 
was  anticipated  with  the  curt  refusal,  "  I  have  nothing  for 
you";  and  in  course  of  time,  this  became  to  him  much 
what  the  retort  of  the  high  priest  had  been  to  Judas — the 
knell  of  all  hope !  But  he  did  not  do  like  Judas — suddenly 
end  his  days,  through  remorse:  no,  he  continued  to  go 
about  with  the  criminal's  mark  branded  upon  him.  And 
the  ostracism  told  on  him — he  was  less  confident  of  him- 


JACOB  HAWSE  469 

self,  less  assertive:  even  a  shakiness  and  apprehensive 
slinking  such  as  is  born  of  drink,  was  creeping  over  him; 
albeit  that  he  scarcely  touched  liquor.  No,  it  was  not  that; 
it  was  the  advance  tremors  of  a  shattered  nervous  system — 
he  was  losing  his  grip. 

He  gave  up  looking  for  employment  among  the  shipping 
— it  was  no  use;  he  took,  instead,  to  his  strongest  vice  as  a 
means  of  support — gambling :  and  he  was  a  skillful  manipu- 
lator of  cards  in  all  the  games  the  sporting  fraternity  win 
and  lose  by.  He  could  not,  however,  run  the  play  all  day 
and  at  night  too,  successful  though  he  generally  was — 
that  would  be  too  radical  a  break  from  his  life-long  habits : 
he  craved  what  he  had  been  bred  to — the  active,  whole- 
some life  of  a  sailor  with  its  open  air  freedom — forever 
breathing  the  pure  salty  breeze  and  doing  manly  battle 
with  the  elements.  Contrast  that  with  the  present  one! 
—the  stuffy  little  room,  pungent  with  the  smell  of  old  pipes 
and  sour  beer — a  den  in  which  he  now  sought  to  outwit 
another  and  thrive  upon  his  losses — it  palled  even  on  Jacob 
Hawse.  Of  yore,  gambling  had  been  to  him  a  pastime — 
merely  an  hour's  recreation  from  hard  work :  now  it  was  an 
occupation  by  which  to  live,  and  it  surfeited  him. 

All  this  time  the  break-down  was  drawing  on  apace: 
he  was  miserable  physically,  miserable  mentally;  and  as  a 
consequence  he  did  not  play  as  well  as  when  he  had  a 
strong  mind  in  a  robust  body — his  gains  were  fewer  and 
his  losses  more,  and  the  difference  daily  increased.  At 
length,  a  night  came  when  his  cash  was  very  low — he 
would  now  stake  the  bank  book:  he  did  so,  dividing  its 
amount  into  parcels,  which  were  readily  received  as  succes- 
sive wagers.  The  game  progressed  with  fluctuating  luck — 
he  won,  he  lost:  finally,  he  lost  the  whole,  and  turned  the 


470      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

book  over  to  the  winner  with  the  information  necessary 
to  draw  the  money;  he  also  gave  the  signature  of  Joshua 
Hunniwell  (to  an  order  for  the  money)  which  he  had 
latterly  so  often  copied,  with  the  prospect  of  using  it,  that 
the  signature  bore  a  close  resemblance  to  the  real  one. 

The  following  day,  the  winner  presented  the  book  with 
the  order  to  pay  to  the  bearer  the  full  amount  of  the  deposit. 
What  was  his  astonishment  to  learn  that  a  year  previously 
the  account  had  been  closed:  it  had  run  so  long  without 
either  deposit  or  withdrawal,  in  fact  without  communica- 
tion of  any  kind  with  the  owner  of  the  book,  that  the 
officials,  according  to  a  rule  of  the  Bank,  wrote  to  the 
mother  of  the  depositor  and  learned  that  her  son  was  dead. 
Upon  verification  of  the  fact  through  the  Maritime  Ex- 
change and  other  sources  of  information,  and  finding  it  all 
concordant  and  satisfactory,  the  money,  principal  and 
interest,  was  paid  to  the  widow. 

The  buncoed  gambler  sought  the  den  that  night  with  fell 
intent:  he  had  not  been  there  long  when  his  man  entered, 
with  the  desperate  resolve  to  win  or  lose  on  the  stake  of  his 
last  dollar. 

The  two  men  met :  "  You  lied  to  me  last  night — you  are 
not  Joshua  Hunniwell — he  died  several  years  ago:  the 
money  was  paid  to  his  mother — you  stole  the  bank  book, 
forged  his  name,  and  passed  yourself  off  for  him:  you 
haven't  the  honor  even  of  a  gambling  hell — take  that!" 
and  he  struck  at  Hawse,  but  his  fist  met  only  the  intangible 
air — Hawse  had  fallen,  a  paralyzed,  apoplectic  heap:  it 
had  been  a  man — now  it  was  only  an  inert  mass  of  flesh 
and  bone,  without  spirit! 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

CLOSE  OF  THE  NARRATIVE 

As  ON  the  stage  all  the  actors — even  those  put  hors  du 
combat  during  the  play — are  called  in  at  the  last  scene,  so 
here  we  shall  have  a  final  muster  of  the  little  band  we  have 
become  acquainted  with  during  the  Voyage  of  the  Wenonah. 

Two  are  among  the  dead — little  Ada,  who  in  all  the 
freshness  of  innocent  childhood  ascended  to  her  Creator 
to  take  ]gm  place  among  the  angelic  host;  for  our  Saviour 
has  said:  "Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and 
forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God." 

And  Jacob  Hawse — he,  too,  is  numbered  among  the 
departed ;  but  where  did  he  go  ?  Stricken  in  full  career  of 
crime,  with  all  his  earthly  foulness  clinging  to  him,  could 
he  go  to  the  same  abode  as  little  Ada — the  realm  of  Celes- 
tial purity  ? 

Repentance?  He  had  none,  but  pursued  his  victim 
to  the  end ;  he  spared  no  means,  great  or  small,  truthful  or 
treacherous,  to  have  revenge  for  his  balked  ambition  and 
wounded  vanity — though  neither  had  foundation  in  any 
act  of  the  man  he  sought  to  ruin. 

The  mercy  of  Heaven  ?  The  intimation  is  given  us  in 
the  parable  of  Lazarus  and  the  rich  man,  that  reform  and 
the  plea  for  mercy  must  be  in  this  life.  In  the  existence 
that  is  eternal,  it  will  be  too  late:  the  sinner  had  Moses  and 
the  Prophets — he  should  have  hearkened  to  them:  now, 
Divine  Justice  must  be  satisfied.  Besides,  what  plea 

471 


472      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

can  the  malefactor  make  who  has  outraged  every  law  of 
God  and  right  of  man  ?  Jacob  Hawse,  it  is  true,  occupied 
a  very  humble  station  in  life;  and  what  he  did,  seems  trivial 
beside  the  gigantic  crimes  of  great  criminals.  Neverthe- 
less, in  his  little  sphere,  he  did  his  all  to  blast  the  career  of 
a  human  being:  he  thereby  enjoyed  to  the  full  the  sweets 
of  revenge — it  gratified  him  to  see  his  victim  suffer,  and 
fail  in  his  undertakings  through  the  devices  he  concocted; 
it  was  pleasant  to  him  to  see  the  slouchy  gait,  the  unkempt 
appearance,  the  impertinent  manner,  the  dilatory  move- 
ment, the  listless  work,  and  all  the  other  petty  annoyances 
he  inspired  the  crew  with,  to  worry  the  Capf  am ;  the  sneer- 
ing innuendo  was  sweet  to  utter;  he  gloated  over  the  final 
deed  that  brought  on  the  wreck,  with  only  a  drunken  crew 
to  clear  it;  he  taught  others  by  word  and  example  insubordi- 
nation; he  incited  to  mutiny — and  was  all  this  deserving  of 
mercy  ? 

The  head  of  a  great  corporation  who  uses  the  money  of 
others  to  bribe  legislators  and  build  up  for  himself  a  posi- 
tion of  importance  in  the  community;  who  enjoys  all  the 
luxuries  wealth  can  procure,  all  the  adulation  pride  can 
crave,  all  the  celebrity  that  ambition  can  covet — this  man, 
reeking  with  his  own  infamy,  and  responsible  for  the 
nefarious  acts  of  thousands  of  subordinates  he  taught  to 
do  likewise,  is  he — caught  red-handed  by  Death — deserv- 
ing of  mercy  ? 

Or  the  great  financier,  who  has  gained  his  wealth  by 
enticing  others  into  fraudulent  schemes,  only  to  ruin  them : 
or  the  master-spirit  of  some  close  monopoly  of  the  neces- 
saries of  life,  who  grinds  without  mercy  those  who  must 
have  food,  and  clothes,  and  fuel — what  mercy  can  these 
stupendous  evil-doers  ask,  when  'The  Son  of  man  shall 


CLOSE  OF  THE  NARRATIVE  473 

come  in  the  glory  of  His  Father  with  His  Angels,  and  then 
will  He  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works." 

We  now  leave  Jacob  Hawse  forever:  may  those  who 
occupy  similar  positions  realize  that  to  be  loyal  and  true 
to  the  superior  in  all  that  is  legitimately  his  due,  is  the  only 
course  for  the  subordinate  to  follow. 

Regarding  the  other  persons  of  our  tale,  a  few  words  will 
suffice : 

Alec  Campbell  and  Company  suffered  grievously  for 
their  treatment  of  Captain  Colburn;  every  shipmaster 
thought  and  said,  "Well,  if  they  can  destroy  a  man's 
reputation  like  that,  they  won't  have  a  chance  to  wreck 
mine";  and  no  self-respecting  commander  would  go  near 
them:  they  became  hoo-doo,  and  the  natural  result  fol- 
lowed— mishaps,  inefficient  service,  and  loss  of  trade,  due 
to  the  only  kind  of  men  they  could  get  to  sail  their  ships. 
And  it  served  them  right  w4i:  every  man  in  a  prominent 
position,  whose  acts  affect  another,  should  hear  both  sides 
of  every  controversy;  then  if  he  errs,  it  is  through  an  error 
of  judgment;  but  if  he  listens  to  one  side  only,  he  forms 
an  opinion  on  partial,  prejudiced  testimony,  and  adds  gross 
injustice  to  the  error  of  judgment. 

Sam  Ruggles  went  out  again  as  Engineer  of  the  Wenonah 
and  had  a  quarrelsome  time.  The  Captain  knew  little 
of  the  engine  or  its  workings,  but  harassed  and  bullied 
Ruggles:  the  latter  rejoined  with  impertinent  insinuations 
to  mind  his  own  business — the  Captain  retorted  with 
brutal  abuse;  and  so  the  wrangle  went  on — the  one  not 
knowing  how  to  curb  a  recalcitrant  subordinate,  and  the 
other  running  his  department  ill  or  well  as  he  pleased; 
and  giving  in  violent  speech  as  much  as  he  got.  And  it 
was  much  the  same  on  deck:  the  Captain  nagged  the  mates 


474      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

and  the  crew,  and  all  talked  back.  Affairs  went  on  slackly 
— according  to  whim,  just  as  vessels  lie  in  a  harbor  when 
they  head  in  every  direction  from  passing  whiffs  of  wind  or 
capricious  eddy  currents :  no  strong  force  was  on  board  to 
guide  and  swing  the  actions  of  officers  and  men  into  that 
regularity  which  indicates  efficiency  and  discipline. 

Northrup  kept  his  promise  to  Colburn  and  procured  for 
him  the  command  of  a  fine  ship.  While  it  is  conceded  that 
tact  is  an  excellent  quality;  and  that  good  nature  and 
interest  in  one's  kind — a  cheerful,  good  humored  address 
and  pleasant  manner — are  prime  factors  in  the  commander 
at  sea  and  will  make  a  ship's  company  happy,  still  there  are 
other  qualities  which  such  a  make-up  often  lacks:  such  a 
man  generally  takes  life  too  easy  to  be  scrupulous  about 
methods,  or  thorough  in  details — there  is  too  much  of 
the  happy  go  lucky  mode  of  doing  duty  in  his  composition 
to  bring  about  efficiency,  or  hold  anything  with  a  firm  grip. 
Captain  Colburn  had  none  of  the  bluff,  cheery,  good  fellow- 
ship that  often  conduces  to  sociability;  and  so  he  was  not 
attractive  to  men:  but  he  had  other  qualities  that  could 
mould  an  organization  into  a  formidable  and  effective 
force;  and  if  he  had  other  than  weaklings  led  by  a  vicious 
chief  officer,  he  would  have  made  the  Wenonah  a  model 
ship.  Colburn  was  intelligent,  thorough,  and  assiduous, 
and  took  hold  of  everything  with  a  firm  hand — with  intent 
to  do  it  well.  In  essential  things  he  was  considerate  for 
others;  but  the  intensity  of  his  nature  entered  into  all  he 
did,  and  this  often  gave  offence  where  none  was  intended; 
and  in  any  ordinary  community  none  would  be  taken :  but 
with  the  serpent  ever  at  the  ear  to  turn  his  every  act  awry, 
it  is  no  wonder  that  the  dupes  among  the  crew  thought  the 
Mate  right,  when  he  only  argued  on  the  side  they  were 


CLOSE  OF  THE  NARRATIVE  475 

inclined  to  feel.  Colburn's  next  command  was  of  a  very 
different  kind :  he  had  no  primary  prejudice  to  work  against 
as  on  the  Wenonah,  and  so  his  really  capable  qualities 
produced  a  well  disciplined  ship.  In  this  he  was  heartily 
seconded  by  his  new  First  Mate — our  old  friend  Ned 
Gower,  whose  loyalty  and  efficiency  filtered  down  through 
every  man  on  board :  it  makes  a  vast  difference,  the  kind  of 
man  in  immediate  contact  with  the  ship's  company — 
whether  a  Jacob  Hawse  or  a  Ned  Gower !  And  to  think 
that  this  turn  in  Colburn's  affairs  hinged  on  the  chance 
meeting  with  Northrup  in  Madison  Square!  It  made 
him  shudder  to  think  what  might  otherwise  have  been  his 
career. 

Doctor  Austin  and  his  wife  settled  in  New  York:  they 
were  loth  to  return  to  San  Francisco  and  revive  at  every 
step  the  fond  memories  of  their  lost  child — it  would  only 
sadden  and  depress  them ;  and  so  they  very  sensibly  severed 
all  ties  with  the  Pacific  Coast. 

George  Brooks  entered  with  zest  upon  his  literary 
career:  he  was  not  of  the  sky  rocket  order  to  burst  forth  in 
dazzling  scintillations,  or  spread  out  in  a  copious  shower 
of  bright  nothings;  but  of  the  concentrated,  persevering, 
painstaking  kind:  consequently,  his  success  was  gradual 
and  modest.  He  did  not  write  for  so  much  a  word, 
whether  this  word  had  any  relevancy  to  the  idea  or  not. 
Much  of  the  writing  of  the  present  day,  both  in  newspaper 
and  novel,  is  a  freshet  of  verbiage  on  which  the  idea  is 
carried  along — sometimes  perceptible,  often  submerged: 
overwriting  indulges  in  oddity  of  expression  and  grotesque- 
ness  of  phrase:  still  more  is  slangy — and  all  to  be  peculiar 
in  order  to  attract  attention.  Brooks  would  none  of  it: 
but  whether  for  letter,  newspaper,  magazine,  or  book,  he 


476      THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  WENONAH 

endeavored  to  write  pure,  clear,  correct,  forcible  English; 
and  only  in  such  quantity  as  would  tersely  express  his 
ideas.  His  aim  was  to  elevate  composition;  and  his  writ- 
ing was  conscientious  in  sentiment  and  expression. 

John  Northrup  resumed  his  practise  of  the  law  and  the 
care  of  his  varied  interests;  and  the  trio — he,  Brooks  and 
the  Doctor — formed  a  companionship  that  for  whole 
souled  and  open  hearted  friendship  was  not  surpassed  in 
New  York. 


THE    END 


-;^>v\       \coiu 


.*.*  N 


O       R       T 


James  BajAi-b 


H 


Be 
New  Yorl 


A        M       E 

n  Francisco 


R        I 


C       A 


I 

C.Hatteraa? 

• 


The  heavy  black  line  is  the 
Route  of  the  "  Wenonah" 


//*'. 


%K:€^     1 


ongitude       90  West 

of  the  World,  SI  ol 


105        Lonjfitnd 


Chart 


09263 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


